


Growling 'Verse

by Moonbeam (luvsbitca)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, My gigantic fic in one place so I'm not going near the tags :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-25
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2017-11-17 00:57:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 128,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/545753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsbitca/pseuds/Moonbeam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is nothing new here. </p><p>This is the chronological version of my Growling 'Verse. It is all the other things I have written being put into chronological order for ease of reading. As promised. </p><p>Being edited to fix the bad before added.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 01 - OMITARW – 05 – Priority (Two months after season 1 finale six months before Five Times)

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the ramblings of my brain.  
>  I do apologise, I know I have told people I'd do this for a while, but I'm almost finished the whole thing and university is finished for the year so I have time to actually edit it properly while I finish the story completely. I know it was very confusing as it was but I never, ever intending this to be as big as it had ended up being. I blame Stiles.  
> Please remember this is season one compliant only. I have not seen the second season yet.
> 
> I have re-edited this however I have also sent it off to my beta terp926 who is busy so I will upload the beta'ed stuff as it comes.
> 
> **One note, Stiles is eighteen for the beginning of this and in my head Derek is four years older, so 22 at the beginning of the story.**

  
**Growling 'Verse**  
by Moonbeam

**01 - OMITARW – 05 – Priority (Two months after season 1 finale six months before Five Times)**

Stiles and Scott drove up to Derek’s house and found a number of trucks and workmen in the yard.

Stiles turned to Scott. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, dude.”

They got out of the car and made their way towards the house. Derek met them half way.

“What’s happening, Derek?” Stiles asked.

“They are here to work on the house.”

Stiles dropped his jaw deliberately. “You mean you are not going to spend the rest of time living in a burned out shell of a house?”

“Shut up, Stiles.” Derek said without giving him much of a look. 

“Or what?” Stiles grinned.

“I’ll rip your throat out,” Derek shrugged looking at him now with a raised eyebrow. 

“Are they rebuilding the whole thing?” Scott asked not wanting to witness another one of the arguments where Stiles baited Derek because he now knew the alpha wasn’t going to maul him and Derek got annoyed. 

“No, just the main structure. Some of it I can do myself and you will all help of course.”

“Help? Build?” Scott asked unsure.

“Yes, once they have checked the foundation and put up the things that we cannot do the rest of us can finish. Pack building exercise.” Derek added firmly.

Derek grabbed Stiles’ arm when he looked like he wanted to walk into the construction zone. 

“Now that we are a pack having a base is a priority.” Derek said as his only explanation. 

///


	2. 02 - OMITARW – 03 – Wealth (Before)

**02 - OMITARW – 03 – Wealth (Before)**

“Derek?” 

“Yes Stiles.” Derek turned around and looked at Stiles with confusion; the younger man had walked into his kitchen and oddly enough sounded cautious which was not a tone Derek was used to. 

“Okay, so don’t get mad. We were talking and we were wondering. You are doing all this work to the house and well, you don’t live here, you live somewhere but not here since we have seen all the rooms and there are no beds and well I am just wondering. Well...”

Stiles stopped talking and was just gesturing wildly with his hands. 

“Stiles, are you trying to ask me how I can afford to rebuild the house and live somewhere else as well?” Derek asked wanting to end the uncomfortable way that Stiles was talking to him. He didn’t mind when Stiles babbled uncontrollably but the way he was standing uncomfortably and talking stiltedly was making Derek uncomfortable too. 

“Yes.” Stiles answered quietly.

“I live in a cabin further into the woods. It is where my nana and grandad lived when I was little until they died. Laura and I called it the Huntsman’s Cottage.” Stiles laughed and Derek tried to hold back a grin. “My family owns the entire wooded area around Beacon Hills and a number of the buildings in town; we hold them through a shell company so that we could maintain our distance and protect our secrets. I own a number of buildings in LA, as well as some around Berkeley which I rent to students, I own a few in New York because Laura wanted to move there after university. I own a couple of companies that do various things. Most of my business interests are dealt with by an uncle who is not a wolf and not an uncle who only comes to town a couple times a year. I normally visit him in San Francisco. I have started taking over more though lately.”

“Oh...can I see the Huntsman’s Cottage?” Stiles asked.

“Maybe.”

“Excellent.” Stiles beamed sure that he would get to see this cottage. “So, want to know what we came up with for suggestions? Hey, are you hungry? I am. Can I make a sandwich?”

“I’ll make it.” Derek said moving towards the kitchen, the first room they had worked on so that the pack could eat while rebuilding.

“I can do it.” Stiles said as he trailed behind Derek, he was always so oddly eager to feed everyone. 

“Stiles, sit down!”

“Okay.” Stiles sat down at the table and watched as Derek made them both a giant ham and salad sandwich. “Lydia thinks you are actually a Romanian prince. Allison said you were related to some guy named Jonathon Hale who is apparently some rich guy who does something.”

“He is a distant relative, down a non-wolf branch of the tree. He handles a couple of my buildings in New York.”

“Are you also a Romanian prince?”

“Not as far as I know.” Derek grinned as he sat across from Stiles and put down the sandwich and a bottle of water in front of him.

“Oh well. Jackson wasn’t sure, either you were living off what your parents left you or you are working to buy the materials and that is why we are building the place and not some builders.”

“I worked as a builder for a while with one of my friend’s fathers all through high school after... So, we are building because it will bring us together as a pack. We need to do things together and learn how to be a team.”

“That’s sort of what I told him.” Stiles said. “Scott agreed with Allison, great shock.”

“And...”

“What?” Stiles asked demolishing half his sandwich.

“How did you think I was getting the money to pay for my house?”

“Lots of things. Selling pot, modelling in Japan, ghost writing teen werewolf novels, Bollywood actor, lecturer of growling at the local werewolf college. You know the usual.” Stiles said with a grin.

Derek laughed at Stiles and when they were finished he moved towards the sink to dump their plates.

“Derek?” Stiles asked with barely hidden excitement and worry.

“Yes?” Derek didn’t bother to turn around.

“Can we finish watching Peter Pan?” Stiles smiled when Derek turned at looked at him.

“Fine.”

“I cannot believe you have never seen Peter Pan, so wrong.”

“So you said last time.”

“Okay. Well when Lydia dropped by and we had to turn it off in case she found out you were watching a cartoon we were up to the bit where Wendy...” Derek grabbed a bag of Cheezels and followed Stiles into the lounge room where Jackson had set up a TV after they had set the generator up for the kitchen. The only two complete rooms, even though at the moment all the lounge room had was a mattress on the floor, enough camp chairs for each of the wolves as well as Stiles and Allison and the enormous TV. 

///


	3. 03 - FTDGASAOTHE – 01 – SATs

**03 - FTDGASAOTHE – 01 – SATs**

Stiles had always been silly smart but he had never been able to focus. On the day he took his SATs he swallowed a handful of Adderall, was laser focussed for three hours then got home and passed out for sixteen. His dad hadn’t noticed; he’d been at work, got home later and thought his son was simply asleep. 

Derek called him the next morning, demanded his presence at his half-rebuilt house and hung up. Stiles had been an honorary part of the pack for over a year and had been helping Derek rebuild the house since he had become the alpha; when he decided that he had roots here now so he needed to fix his house. 

Getting a call demanding help was not unusual but generally speaking there was some warning and Scott would have called him to let him know what was coming. For some reason Stiles was always the last person called – Lydia, who refused to do any heavy lifting and just tried to tell others what to do, was called before him. At least Stiles was helpful, he hoped. 

Stiles groaned, even after all that sleep he still felt a little groggy and could have probably used another couple hours sleep to get the rest of the medication out of his system. He knew though that if he wasn’t at Derek’s place within the hour Derek would make him do something unpleasant. His threats of bodily torture were no longer believable – he had never followed through even for all the threats but the older man was inventive when it came to punishments. 

Stiles dragged himself from bed, stumbled into the shower under tepid water with his hand wrapped around his cock getting some of the need out of his body before he had to spend the rest of the day seeing Derek building, flexing and sweating shirtless. This orgasm wouldn’t prevent him from spending the entire day semi-hard but it would save him from spending the whole day so fucking horny he would have to run home when he went to collect lunches to jerk off quickly so he could go back again. I had only taken him two days working on the house for Stiles to work out this method of getting through the day. 

Scott always smirked at him when he arrived knowing why his friend smelled of release, Jackson said nothing, hopefully assuming he was just a teenager who was permanently horny. Lydia only made fun of him once before Derek growled out the order that sex lives were not to be discussed; they all needed some privacy. Every time Stiles arrived he was met with a growl from Derek and he still expected the growl to turn into something more when the alpha finally worked out who Stiles was thinking about when he came all over himself in the shower.

It took Stiles twenty-five minutes to drive to Derek’s house, ten minutes to stop in and get the doughnuts which were his responsibility in the morning so Stiles arrived with ten minutes to spare but saw no other cars in front of the house. 

Stiles got out of the jeep and walked inside, the downstairs of the house was complete, the second storey still basically a skeleton but soon they would be able to start adding walls and then the roof. Lydia had already declared herself decorator but Stiles had a feeling she would not be getting her way with the inside; Derek obviously had very precise taste.

Stiles had just put the doughnuts down when he was pushed against the wall and Derek invaded his space to sniff at him, along his neck, behind his ear. Stiles moved his head, baring his neck knowing what the action meant, could mean if only he was being manhandled for another reason. Stiles wished desperately that Derek was doing it for that reason and he’d willingly submit, he’d repeat the action willingly, repeatedly, if Derek ever asked. 

“If you ever do that again, Stiles, I will string you up and beat you.” Derek growled into his neck.

Stiles tried not to find the idea of being tied up and spanked so alluring but he was a kinky bastard and anything Derek could want to do to him he would try. At least once.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t think you’d ever find out. I have to do it. But I promise to think about something else next time.” Stiles stuttered trying to ignore the blood flowing down.

“You do not have to do it, Stiles, it’s dangerous.”

“It was only dangerous if you found out. Who told you? Scott?” Stiles started mentally cursing his best friend for ratting him out. 

“Scott let you do it? How the hell could he not stop you?”

“He couldn’t stop me, he said it was a bad idea but I cannot believe he told you.”

“Who knows what could happen to you if you do it that much.”

“I only do it a couple times a day, Okay so it’s every day and the days I’m here more but I am still technically a teenager so it’s probably fairly normal.”

“Putting something like that in your body is not normal, Stiles.” Derek accompanied this growl with his death glare. 

“What? Putting what I…so? Loads of people do it?”

“A handful is too much, Stiles.”

“Not a handful just a couple fingers.” Stiles could feel the heated flush sweeping over his skin. 

“What?” Derek scrunched his eyebrows and glared.

“What? Lots of people do it.”

“What the hell? Are you drinking as well as overdosing on that fucking shit, Stiles?”

“What?” Stiles face scrunched up in confusion.

“How the hell could you take that much Adderall? You overdosed, Stiles.” Derek’s voice just dropped into a true growl, low, dangerous and animalistic. Stiles could feel it right down to his cock. 

Stiles took a moment to think about what was said. Derek was not talking about the fact Stiles jacked off routinely to thoughts of the alpha wolf, that the black haired man was the main source of fantasy…that was a lie; he was all Stiles thought about when he had a hand wrapped around his cock or fingers inside himself wishing it was Derek. Stiles shook himself, Derek was talking about the Adderall, what about the drug?

“Are you talking about yesterday, with the SATs? Because that was totally under control.”

“How is that under control?”

“Just enough to ensure focus for the length of the test. I think I aced it too.”

“By seriously overdosing on drugs?”

“Not seriously, and it’s not like it's fucking crack or something, just some Adderall.”

“Which is basically speed, Stiles.”

“I had to do well, Derek. I cannot concentrate for three hours intensely like that and I had to do well for my dad, for me. I wanted to make him proud, dude.”

Derek scrubbed his hand over his face. “Stiles, you just can’t do that it’s dangerous.”

“I-“

“I forbid you from abusing the Adderall again like that, Stiles, take it only as directed. Do you understand?”

“You cannot order me around when I am not even a fucking member of the pack, Derek. Not really.”

Derek slapped Stiles upside the back of the head. “Are you honestly that stupid?”

“What?”

“You are part of the pack, Stiles. You are annoying but you are a member of this pack, you don’t want to be a werewolf but that doesn’t change the fact you are still a member.”

“Really?” Stiles asked with surprise. 

“Yes, now if I find out you have abused again I will rip your throat out. Understood?”

“Okay, Derek.” Stiles felt his chest swell with happiness. “Is anyone else coming?” Stiles asked as Derek opened the doughnut box.

“No, why?”

“Thought we were working on the house, thank God we aren’t. I am tired still. Suddenly exhausted.”

“Mattress is still in the … can’t remember what Lydia calls it. Was the play room.”

“You rock so hard you are almost sedimentary, Derek.” Stiles grinned at him and bounded away to collapse on the mattress Derek kept in case any of the pack needed to crash; Stiles could not work out how it always smelt like Derek never any of the other wolves. He didn’t care; he wallowed in the smell as he fell asleep. 

Derek inhaled a couple doughnuts. He was annoyed at Stiles, but he was not furious like he had been last night when he had popped in to see Stiles and realised that the boy reeked of the drug and was in an unnatural sleep. He had perched on the windowsill for hours to make sure he was okay. Halfway through the third doughnut the conversation caught up with him.

“What the hell did Stiles think I was talking about?” Derek asked the empty room. 

///


	4. 04 - FTDGASAOTHE – 02 – Fight

**04 - FTDGASAOTHE – 02 – Fight**

“Run!” Derek growled at Stiles, his hand on Stiles’ lower back pushing him towards the house.

“What? What’s wrong?” Stiles was running with his face craned around and his eyes on Derek who was transforming as he pushed Stiles. 

Stiles tripped and fell, Derek growled gripped his shoulder, claws breaking the skin, and lifted him so he could push the human towards the house again. 

“Lock yourself downstairs and do not come out for any reason, Stiles. Go.”

“But...”

“Go!” It was the first order Derek had ever given that Stiles truly felt compelled to follow. Though that could also have something to do with the unfamiliar howl he could hear in the distance.

Stiles ran inside and down to the werewolf proof room Derek had shown him in the basement; safe from anything that could happen. 

/\/\/\

Derek had sent everyone home after another day of painting the downstairs rooms but had asked Stiles to stay. He had explained there were some things that the younger man needed to know. He had lead Stiles downstairs into the basement. Before any of the wolves, or Stiles, were invited out to help the basement had been completed but they had never come down, thinking there was nothing there. The room at the back of the basement looked uninteresting. Stiles was wrong. 

Derek had growled at Stiles’ running commentary about being taken down to the basement to the killing floor, and tied up down there, asked if Derek needed help moving the body, if this was where the alpha was growing the pot to fund the whole rebuild. Stiles did not stop talking until Derek had opened the boring wooden door cutting the basement in half and stood aside. Stiles noticed that the front and back of the door looked like wood but the centre was definitely metal, probably solid.

“Oh God, you have a panic room?” Stiles had walked in. 

“It’s werewolf proof, we can lock any of us up in here. Or you.”

“Me?” Stiles turned around from looking at the little bed in the corner, little fridge and sink in the other, the shower and toilet behind another door. It was all sturdy, all bolted down, all designed to put up a bit of a fight against a werewolf.

“If one of us goes rabid, if something happens you come down here and lock yourself in, there is a satellite phone in the metal box up there.” Derek pointed at the roof to the right of the door. “There is enough food to get you through for a while and the walls are reinforced. Something happens do not do something stupid, get yourself down here and lock yourself in tight so the rest of us can handle it.”

“Derek, I am not useless. I can help.”

“I know you're not useless. But you are also human and if it comes down to it get yourself in here.”

“Fine.” Stiles had walked out then, annoyed at always being the weak, useless member of the pack, hell not even a proper member of the pack – the only non-werewolf. Even though he didn’t want to be turned he still felt like he was less because he was not one. Derek had built a room because he was so useless in a fight he needed to be protected. 

Stiles was so mad he ignored Derek’s voice calling to him as he walked upstairs and drove away still seething.

/\/\/\

Stiles could hear snarling, howling and the occasional growl from within the panic room. The floor shook as the two wolves outside tried to kill each other. The whole thing made no sense. Since Derek had taken over they had seen only one other werewolf, an old friend of Derek’s dad come to check out the pack. 

Derek had said it was an observation of power, to see if the pack was strong and cohesive. Scott had been confused but Stiles got it. If the pack wasn’t strong, wasn’t a team, then another pack could come in and take them over. Stiles hadn’t been worried about any of it, he just shrugged and said Derek was strong enough to show he was the man and asked if there were any particular things that they should or should not do. Derek had told him that Stiles was not allowed to be there, that he had to stay away from the house for a week before the man arrived and was not to step foot in the woods for the entire visit. It was the second time in a week that Derek had made Stiles feel useless; he couldn’t even be around to be seen as part of the pack. Stiles had just nodded and left them to the conversation about the customs of another pack leader visiting. He made them all lunch, tried not to be offended, tried to justify it all to himself, he was not a werewolf, not a werewolf member of the pack so he had no place there. It was really only Derek’s acceptance that allowed him to be a part of everything, part of the pack. He needed to stop assuming that he was in any way a part of the deeper bond that the werewolves shared. 

The visit came and went, Stiles bored out of his brain without the other wolves and the pack to keep him busy. He cleaned the house three times and then his dad hid the vacuum cleaner. He went running, a lot, but he wasn’t allowed near the woods and that was his favourite place to run. He was bored out of his hyperactive mind. As soon as the visit was over Stiles appeared at Derek’s house with three bags worth of groceries and set about cooking a feast for his pack. He might not get to meet other people but he knew he was the only member of the pack with any culinary skills. He’d just have to keep reminding them all why they kept him around. Being useful like this was familiar, was comfortable and Stiles didn’t think he could expect it to be anything else anymore, expecting just ended with him disappointed. 

Stiles had already unpacked everything and was crushing the garlic when he felt Derek behind him.

“Hey, thought I’d cook. I know you were having a meeting about the whole visit thing, Scott told me. Hope it’s okay.” Stiles kept himself in check not wanting to ramble. Not wanting to annoy Derek.

“Yeah, I dropped by last night to tell you about it. Your dad answered, told me he’d tell you.”

“I haven’t seen him. He probably wrote it down somewhere. Why didn’t you call my mobile?”

“I did, Scott answered, said he’d tell you.” Derek said grabbing a carrot from the fridge.

Stiles smiled. “I’m making lasagne.”

“Excellent. Need help?”

“You don’t need to, I can do this.”

“I want to; you’ve cooking for us so we should help.” Derek said managing to catch Stiles’ eye. 

“Okay, cut the onions?” Stiles hated cutting onions, they always made him cry.

Derek and Stiles worked together in the kitchen, the rest of the pack slowly arriving and crowding into the kitchen to try and steal food. Stiles slapped them out of the way and Derek growled making them stop in their tracks and retreat to the table to watch and chat. 

“God, I missed you.” Lydia said kissing his cheek when she joined them.

Derek made a confirming noise next him and Stiles relaxed even though he had not realised he was tense. 

“When that pompous idiot was here we had to eat everything raw. Disgusting.” Lydia said, snagging some carrot pieces from the salad before Derek growled at her to sit down and keep her hands to herself. 

“It’s a wolf thing.” Derek explained placing the garlic bread next to Stiles so he could put it in the oven when the lasagne was about ready to be served.

“It’s not a this wolf thing.” Lydia’s replied as she walked from the room now that everything was in the oven. “Scott, are you inviting Allison to dinner?”

“We have wolf business to discuss, make sure she gives us at least forty-five minutes. That okay with you, Stiles?”

“Huh? What?”

“That too much time for the lasagne?” Derek asked again. 

“No, almost perfect.”

“Good, call and then get your arse in there, Scott. We have a lot to fill Stiles in on.” Stiles trailed behind Derek grinning as the other three wolves just rolled their eyes and followed them in.

/\/\/\

“Stiles?” Derek’s voice made it through the wall.

“Derek? Are you okay?”

“Fine, he’s gone you can come out when you are ready.”

Stiles automatically opened the door and looked at Derek, covered in blood. Shit. Stiles moved forward, grabbed the wolf and dragged him back inside and then pushed him onto the bed.

“What if the other wolf had over powered me, maybe I should install a camera or something so you can be sure.” Derek said in a gruff voice as Stiles walked towards the tiny bathroom.

“You’d never let someone convince you to hurt one of us.” Stiles popped his head back out and grinned at Derek who was stunned at the absolute faith Stiles put in him. 

Stiles pulled out the first aid kit, cut the rest of Derek’s shirt off and pulled it from the wounds. Claw marks in his shoulder, teeth marks down his arm, his wrist looked broken, and there was a great gash running through the tattoo on his back. Stiles started to clean them. Antiseptic first. He knew Derek would heal, knew the werewolf could heal without being cleaned up first but Stiles could do this; he might not be able to fight, not really, but he could do this. 

“I get it now.”

“What?” Derek jerked like he was woken up.

“I get why you built it. I was pissed before but I know I am too weak. I know I cannot defend myself against a werewolf, not like you guys. I get that you were trying to protect me. Thank you.” Stiles couldn’t look Derek in the eye when he said it but he appreciated all that Derek had done for him here. 

“I didn’t build it just to protect you.”

“Huh?” The wound down Derek’s back made Stiles want to hug the alpha, wrap him up tight and comfort him which was just too sappy for words so he focussed on cleaning it instead. 

“You survived against my uncle, repeatedly, because you are smart and strong. I know whatever comes you will be there too; fighting with the rest of us. If the hunters decide to come at us again you will be there alongside us.”

“Then why?” Stiles wiped dirt out of the wounds on Derek’s arm but looked up questioningly for a moment.

“You didn’t hear me. You can lock us up in here too. You are the smartest member of the pack, the most capable. Lydia is smart but you kept Scott alive and away from a rabid alpha for a long time. If something goes down I trust you to make the right choices, even if it was me you had to lock up. That’s why I only told you.”

“Shit.” Stiles sat down next to Derek heavily. Derek trusted Stiles to do what was right for the pack, trusted him enough to have something to use against him, their alpha, which was fucking hard core. It took Stiles a few minutes to comprehend it all.

“I will do what I can to protect everyone.” Stiles looked Derek in the eye when he made the promise.

“I know.” This time it was Stiles who was shocked at the level of trust placed in him but he shook himself and got back to patching Derek up. He cleaned his back, covered the worst of it to keep it clean and then had to cut off Derek’s pants because they were shredded to shit as well. He was professional as he cleaned and covered the long gouges down his left thigh and the bite marks all over his calves. When he was done though he could not help running his eyes over Derek, pretending that he was just checking for injuries and checking his work. He couldn’t lie to himself though, he was just cataloguing everything for later when he was alone like the insane pervert that he was. 

When Stiles eyes make it to Derek’s face he found it tilted, scenting the air like normal. ‘Oh God please don’t notice how horny I am’ was all that ran through Stiles’ head.

Derek’s hand reached out quickly and gripped Stiles’ shirt, pulling at the neckline until it ripped. Stiles’ brain short circuited and his entire body spasmed at the possibility of what that could mean.

“You’re hurt.” Derek growled out and Stiles followed the alpha’s eyes to his shoulder where there was a bleeding claw shaped wound. Now he could see it the pain was finally registering and he knew without looking that there were four more on the back of his shoulder and a matching set on his other shoulder. 

“I didn’t notice, I’ll just clean it.” Stiles started to pull away but Derek held him in place.

“No!” Derek’s growl was even more feral this time. He swapped spots with Stiles before Stiles realised what was going on and the electric blue eyed alpha was suddenly looming over him.

Derek picked up the bottle of antiseptic and swiped gently at the wounds. When Stiles’ hissed at the sting Derek growled low and quiet in response; annoyed at himself. After each wound had been carefully cleaned and a large band-aid had been placed over each one Derek rubbed his face and he looked so broken when Stiles caught his eyes that the human reached out to wrap a hand around Derek’s arm. Derek flinched away.

“No. This is why. I am dangerous. I hurt you.” Derek growled with a scowl on his face.

“Yeah, because I am clumsy and there was a werewolf coming to put the smack down on you. Why was there a werewolf here to try and kick your arse?”

“I don’t know. You need to leave.”

“What? Hell no. I came for a ‘Die Hard’ marathon and I demand to be satisfied.” Stiles flushed at the double entendre. 

“You shouldn’t be here, Stiles; I am dangerous.”

“No, you were protecting me and it will heal. No problem. Come on, you need new clothes and I need British sounding German super villains and popcorn.” 

Stiles turned and headed for the stairs grabbing the ruined clothes and balling them up around the bloody wipes and rubbish to be thrown away outside while he collected the popcorn machine from his car.

Derek growled behind him and when Stiles came back with the popcorn machine he found the door locked.

“Go away, Stiles.” Derek’s voice carried through the door.

“Don’t be stupid, Derek. I am safer with you than anywhere.” Stiles pulled his keys from his pocket, fit his copy of Derek’s in the lock and let himself in while Derek swore.

Derek slinked upstairs sulking. He needed to remember, always remember, that he hurt everything he cared about and Stiles was human. He was also a stubborn, annoying brat who would never allow himself to be pushed out or walk away so Derek was going to have to just keep making sure nothing, especially not himself, hurt Stiles ever again.

///


	5. 05 - FTDGASAOTHE – 03 – University

**05 - FTDGASAOTHE – 03 – University**

At the start of senior year Stiles had looked at universities in California, close enough to come home to his dad but far enough away to ensure at least a little autonomy. He looked at the courses offered knowing he needed to pick things that would interest him or he’d be screwed. He had done amazingly on the SATs, though when he bragged about it Derek had growled long, low and loud. Still obviously a tender subject even though Stiles had been very careful ever since to take the medication with care. Stiles had his heart set on Berkeley, three hour drive offering journalism and folklore – since his life was werewolves and they captivated him then integrating it in the studies would make it easier to focus. Plus, Stiles knew himself well enough to know that he loved unravelling things. He would need to go and see if they ended up being for him but it was a place to start. He would only be able to go if he could get a scholarship, his grades were there but who knew. His teachers probably didn’t have great things to say about him. So he had a list of backups. While he was in the zone he had written his admissions letters and saved them. The greatest trick in his fight against his own brain was to do things the second he was focussed on them and never, ever leave things until later.

Months passed and the actual process of writing and sending applications began so he pulled them out, checked them and sent them all off. 

Derek had decided to train him, teach him how to defend himself since the house was finally finished, mostly Lydia decoration free, and training was changing among the werewolves so all that was left was to really get into trying to train the untrainable. As soon as the pack formed Derek instigated training sessions and Stiles was included. For about two weeks. He was included only until it was made obvious that he was dangerous. Stiles had always been a little clumsy; he could hurt himself and fall over when standing still and putting Derek in the mix made him so nervous he was constantly having trouble controlling his limbs. 

So, Stiles was put in a more organisational role, he became the person who fed and watered everyone, did the research, just generally came up with new ways to test the wolves, sat off to the side and kept up a running commentary of the fights, awarded points and then declared grand champion. Derek was always the grand champion; which was probably why he only growled a little when Stiles started with his running commentary, putting on his best impersonation of whoever commentated the football games his dad watched. He thoroughly enjoyed the competition even if it started in his head. Scott was the first to become invested and then the whiteboard had appeared in the basement where Stiles started keeping track of all the different games, activities and exercises that they routinely competed on.

Stiles had come into his own when it came to weapons training though. Derek had looked terrified, hell, everyone but Scott had looked terrified when Stiles had walked over, picked up the rifle and aimed. Derek had actually smiled, a full proper smile when he saw the way Stiles hit every target before shooting the apple core out of Jackson’s hand. 

“Take that bitches!” Stiles proclaimed as he blew on the barrel. Scott had fallen over laughing at the look on the other three werewolves’ faces.

Really it was stupid of them to be so surprised; his dad was a cop, he had been taught to respect guns and then when old enough how to clean, shot and look after them. Scott was an okay shot but Stiles beat every one of the werewolves with any firearm and as it turned out he was pretty good with other projectile weapons too. Alison was not the only one who knew how to use a crossbow now. 

In the two years since Derek had become alpha the four wolves had become a strong, well trained and cohesive team. They were a family but apparently the fact Stiles was useless in a fight now needed to be solved. As a result, three nights a week Stiles had to go to Derek’s house and train with the werewolf, yet another situation where Stiles was constantly reminded he had fallen in desperate lust with the alpha and wanted him so badly he was constantly aroused. Just what he needed really.

Stiles was never late until the night he had come home for a quick shower and jerk before going and meeting Derek to find his dad at home waiting for him; he shouldn’t be at home it was a night shift day.

“Dad?” Stiles was worried.

“Sit down, Stiles.”

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Stiles said as he rushed over.

“I got the mail today, came home to pick up my dinner which I forgot, and we got some interesting stuff in the mail.”

“I did not order porn…or sex toys. It must be a mistake.”

The sheriff stared at his son slack jawed not sure how to respond to that. “Good?”

Stiles looked down at the coffee table. “Oh God, these are college letters aren’t they?”

“Yes, sit down.”

Stiles slumped down onto the seat. “Fuck.”

“Language…but yeah fuck.”

“Okay, we’ll open one each.” Stiles reached for two of the envelopes, handing one to his dad and as one they opened them.

“You’re in the California State University.”

“Good, we can afford that one.”

“Stiles!” his dad admonished.

“What? It’s true and it is a factor. If you think I am going to go somewhere we cannot afford you are insane.” Stiles didn’t want to look at his dad, he didn’t mind making sacrifices but he didn’t want his dad to be hurt by the fact he might have to. 

“What does yours say?”

“I got into University of Southern California.”

“Did you apply anywhere but California.”

“No, you are here dad; who else is going to come and ensure you eat well occasionally?”

His dad leaned over wrapped an arm around him and muttered against his hair. “I love you, Stiles.” They both ignored the moment after Stiles returned the phrase, neither comfortable with affection since Stiles’ mum had passed.

“You could have gone farther.” Sheriff Stilinski said though he was so pleased that Stiles didn’t want to run away. 

“I didn’t want to, Dad. I don’t want to go away away just a little away. If there was an option in town I probably would have taken it.” Stiles didn’t add that while his dad was a huge part of that sentiment the werewolf pack in his life made up the rest of it. “Now, next envelopes.”

By some weird unspoken decision they did not open Berkeley until last, his father handing Stiles the envelope. Stiles breathed like Derek had taught him, attempting to get the butterflies in his stomach to calm before ripping the envelope open and shoving the paper at his dad to read.

“You got in.”

“Oh, thank fuck.” Stiles said collapsing back against his father’s shoulder.

“Language.” They both said together.

“I am proud of you, Stiles, I would have been proud of you regardless but I am so proud of you for getting here, I know how hard it has been sometimes. We should celebrate.”

“You have to work.” Stiles said hopeful that they could actually go. 

“Called Jimmy in when I saw the letters either we were celebrating or eating misery pizza. Regardless, it was going to be the two of us.”

“Emilio’s?”

“Course. I’ll call, you go have a shower. You reek.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Stiles yelled as he ran up the stairs and straight into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later smelling like soap instead of sweat and teenage boy Stiles walked into his room and smacked into Derek’s body. His body reacted instantaneously to being pressed against Derek and he tried step to the side but Derek grabbed his upper arms and just looked at him for a minute.

“What?” Stiles asked when Derek released him. He was able to step away and move over to the dresser quickly turning his hips into the wood. Derek followed him and stopped just behind him sniffing the air.

“You were late.” Derek grumbled.

“What?” Stiles asked confused for a moment. “Late?”

“We had a trai-“

“Oh shit,” Stiles said as he opened the drawer to find some underwear. “I got distracted. I got my university letters today.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You are never late.”

“I’m sorry, Derek. Dad was here when I got home and then I started to open the letters, I got in to everywhere I applied. Hopefully Berkeley depends on the scholarships I can get but we have a couple meetings lined up.” Stiles had to move away to slide the underwear up under his towel before grabbing jeans and a top so he could finally get dressed. 

“That’s good. So I guess no training tonight.” Derek said stepping away.

“No, Dad wants to go out to celebrate. Can we change the day?” 

“Don’t worry about it. Just come Thursday.”

Derek turned and slipped back through the window. “You can use the door.” Stiles called after him but he knew nothing would stop the pack from using his window.

Stiles walked downstairs and went to dinner with his dad.

/\/\/\ 

Thursday came around and Stiles made sure to be early.

“Hey, Derek, what are you torturing me with tonight? Are we going to run until I faint? Are you going to beat me up? Maybe you can hang me from the branches and see if I can escape.”

There was no response.

“Derek?” Stiles moved through the building looking for Derek. He was early but not that early. “Derek?”

Stiles found the alpha werewolf out the back of the house at the punching bag beating it so hard that the stuffing was starting to leak out. “Derek.”

Derek spun, crouching down and growling before he caught Stiles’ scent. Derek pulled the headphones out of his ears his chest heaving and looking angry. “You’re early.”

“Well I didn’t come at all last time.” Stiles shrugged. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, just training. Wanted to get some boxing in before you got here.”

“Yeah, I tend to flinch and complain if you punch me that hard.” Stiles knew there was something wrong with Derek but he figured he was not supposed to have seen this. If in doubt sarcasm and humour to deflect.

“I wouldn’t hit you this hard.” Derek growled and pulled his iPod out, switched it off and wiped himself down. “I figured we would do a little light hand to hand today. You attack and I will show you some defensive movements.”

“Excellent.” 

Two hours later Stiles was sore, tired and had been able to toss Derek over his shoulder before falling flat on his own arse. He had also been pressed up against Derek so much he might have managed to make all of his anti-erection images actual erection images because he was still hard even thinking about Scott naked which had absolutely always worked in the past. Even thinking about his year three teacher Miss Godfrey who was the most disgusting woman he had ever seen hadn’t worked. He was so screwed; completely and utterly screwed.

/\/\/\ 

It took three weeks to hear back from all the scholarship places he’s talked to. Some said yes, other said no. He can get a partial one from Berkeley and a few others that will come with him wherever he goes. It isn’t enough and he cannot see any other options, no other places to look into. His dad says he has a few leads but Stiles has resigned himself to USC which he can afford with the scholarships and is a good school, further away but still good.

He told Scott, because his best friend should get to know first. Scott would understand the disappointment and would just allow him to be sad for a while. Scott did, just handed over the controller and allowed Stiles to massacre some zombies.

Derek found out next because at their training session the next afternoon Stiles was still mad. Mad enough to beat the shit out of the new punching bag. Derek demanded to know what was going on.

“I can’t go to Berkeley. It’s fine. Will be fine. I am just a little disappointed. Sorry.” Stiles stopped beating the bag and wiped some sweat from his face.

“Don’t apologise. Keep going.” Derek stepped back giving up on the training for the evening, letting him attack the punching bag for a while. 

Later that night, when Stiles had had a shower upstairs and was sitting with the pack they all found out he got accepted; that he wasn’t going.

Stiles just shrugged, pretending it wasn’t a big deal. He hated people feeling sorry for him. 

“If you want to go to Berkeley, you are going to go.” Derek said from behind Stiles. 

“I can’t.” Stiles said without turning around. 

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”

“You can, Stiles. I want to help you.”

“I am not going to.” Stiles said firmly. “I don’t want your help.”

“Why not?” Derek asked grabbing Stiles and spinning him getting frustrated with the way he was being ignored and disagreed with.

“Because Dad and I cannot afford send me so I have decided to go to USC.”

“But you want to go to Berkeley.”

“Not anymore.”

“You’re lying.”

“Stop reading my pulse!” Stiles barked.

“Stop lying and being stubborn.”

“Stop being dictatorial.”

“I am the alpha.”

“I am human.”

“And you are going to Berkeley.” Derek knew he was allowing himself to get overly annoyed and he was being irrational but he just could not help himself when faced with Stiles being stubborn and silly.

“No, I’m not!”

“There is no good reason you can’t accept my help, so you are going to.” Derek growled.

“You cannot tell me what to do!” Stiles growled back. 

“I’m the alpha.” Scott shrugged at Lydia telling her to just let them go, even after all this time sometimes the two of them just got annoyed at each other. Scott was the first to admit that Stiles could be very annoying. For some reason Stiles was able to get under Derek’s skin faster than anyone else and Derek would react more forcefully than he would with anyone else. 

“I’m not a werewolf.”

“But, you are pack.”

“Yeah, except I make my own decisions about things that do not affect the pack.”

“I am not making your decisions for you.” Derek said exasperated. “I am just trying to get you the decision you want.”

“I told you I can’t go.” Stiles whispered the rest. “I can’t afford it.”

“You can still go, Stiles. I have been thinking about it. I am going to pay for it.” Derek said. 

“No.” Stiles felt the anger and loathing flood his body. He tried not to get more annoyed but it came up on him quickly. “You cannot pay for me. I will not accept it. I’m not going.”

“Why not?” Derek asked puzzled.

“Stiles.” Scott said with understanding and some warning.

“I will not accept the money. I am going to the University of Southern California. End of story.” Stiles stood now fists at his side, so angry he was shaking with it. 

“You are going to Berkeley, Stiles.” Derek growled.

“No I am not! Dad and I cannot afford the rest of the tuition; the various scholarships will take care of only two-thirds of the cost. I cannot ask dad to give anything up for me, I will happily go to one of the other universities I have been accepted to. And I will not accept your money.”

Derek took a deep breath, let it out and tried to calm himself down. “You don’t understand, Stiles, you can go.”

“Unless you have an inside track with someone who can give a scholarship then no I can’t.” Stiles wanted to shake Derek so he would understand this would not work. His family was not rich, not poor, but not rich, unlike Derek.

“I want to pay for it.” Derek said calmly.

“But, I don’t want you to. Leave it alone.” Stiles said growling low and making the three betas sit forward surprised at the noise coming from Stiles’ mouth. He opened and closed his mouth not sure how to explain to the man that his idea was so far from acceptable it was painful.

“Why?” Lydia asked from the couch reminding the two men, who stood barely twenty centimetres apart, that there were other people in the room.

“Derek cannot pay for me. I will not accept money from him. Not like that.” Stiles looked to Scott silently begging him to help explain; Scott would understand.

“That’s how the pack works.” Derek growled out.

“Well it is not how I work.” Stiles ground out unbelievably annoyed at Derek for thinking he could just order him around.

“You are part of the pack.” Derek did not understand why Stiles was being so damned stubborn.

“I know. I love being part of the pack, but I cannot let you do this, Derek.” Stiles’ eyes were pleading with him, begging him to let this idea go. Derek didn’t understand, couldn’t possibly understand why Stiles was so opposed to this.

Derek responded with a growl that had the three other wolves in the room suddenly tense but Stiles just turned and left the house.

“He doesn’t like pity. It makes him feel trapped and angry.” Scott said when the sound of the jeep had faded but the oppressive feeling of the room just kept growing.

“Why?” Derek didn’t speak; nothing made him angrier than Stiles and the anger and frustration rolling off of him meant he wouldn’t be able to say anything for a while. They all knew him well enough to know when the change is coming, when the wolf was just under the surface. They knew you just needed to let whoever it was be until they had themselves under control. He would be listening but actually talking to him, trying to get him to respond would result in either damage to the house or a lot of dead game. 

“When Mrs Stilinski died she’d been sick for years. That’s how we met; mum was her nurse and she invited Stiles over one day so his parents could have a day together; she was in remission at the time. Stiles walked in and punched me on the arm, saw my collection of games and we started to play. We basically lived together for years floating between the houses and families and then Mrs Stilinksi got really sick and the doctors all told her she wasn’t going to live. I didn’t see much of Stiles for a while. He spent all his time with his mum. That was when we got into a huge fight. You apologise to people who are losing someone, that’s what Mum always did so I said sorry, he punched me and we wrestled and fought. I broke his nose, he gave me a black eye. It was brutal. His dad pulled us apart and yelled at us both for about half an hour while Mum patched us up and then she started telling us off too. Then we both went into the hospital and his mum just pulled us onto the bed and hugged us both tight. She told us not to mistake pity for caring. I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. She was dead three months later and that’s when it got really bad. Everyone pitied him, poor little Stiles with the dead mum. His dad was so devastated he didn’t handle it well. Stiles basically lived with us. He got into a lot of fights, threw a lot of tantrums. It was really bad. There is nothing he hates more than pity.”

“And he sees Derek’s offer as pity.” Lydia asked.

“Yep.”

“So basically we just told him the safest place in the world for all of us pities him.” Lydia, of course, got it, said it in a way that could get through to Derek. 

“I am surprised he reacted so calmly.” Scott said watching Derek closely.

Stiles was still annoyed when he got home but his dad grabbed his arm and made him explain what was wrong. Stiles had no way to explain that the man he was in love with, who was the leader of the wolf pack he was a human member of, had offered to make all his dreams come true and he would get to actually go to Berkeley but he could not say yes because he cannot accept pity from Derek, from the pack, at all because it was everything Stiles hated and that pity took his back to being young and losing his mother. 

He made up a fight with Derek, his older friend whose house he was helping rebuild as an apology for claiming he was a murderer. The older friend who had repeatedly come to dinner to make his dad feel okay about allowing his son and Scott to go and help. 

His dad just smiled at him knowingly, okay so Stiles sucked at hiding his feelings and his dad had always known he was be a little…un-straight. He’d just mumbled he didn’t care when he’d accidently found Stiles jerk off material, mainly girly magazines with one or two magazines that had men on their covers. Before Derek, they had all been girly magazines and honestly the gay magazines don’t really do it for him by themselves, sometimes he just imagined Derek in the situations that are in the magazines. Stiles shook his head; he should be focussing. Stiles forced himself to pay attention to his dad who was still grinning at him.

“He pissed me off is all. Hopefully by now Scott has explained why I was so damn annoyed.”

“That bad.”

“Yeah.”

“Need me to talk to him.”

“Oh God, Dad, I’m eighteen, I can handle it.”

“I have an interview with a group that does scholarships for cops kids tomorrow. I need the documents, letters, everything.”

“Thanks, Dad.” The hug is quick and tight then Stiles ran upstairs.

When Stiles made it inside his room he found Derek perched on the window sill. Stiles sighed; he had wanted to just crash, forget dinner or homework he just wanted this day to be over.

“I don’t pity you, Stiles.” Derek’s voice was quiet and calm.

Stiles just looked at Derek, thank God Scott explained. Of course, this was the time that Derek came to explain something or talk about it. Normally, they both just ignored the problem, fixed the behaviour and tried to be better next time. That or Stiles went and ambushed Derek so he could chatter until he fixed the problem or Derek gave in. But this time, when things were awkward and embarrassing and Stiles just wanted to ignore it all Derek appeared in his room to talk about it. 

“The thing you don’t seem to understand about pack is that if one member of the pack needs something, that you have and do not need you give it to them. You needed help, money, I have more than I need and I make more every day. So it makes sense that I would give you some of it. I didn’t mean anything by it. I would give anything to any of you that you need; it is my role and responsibility as alpha.”

“I cannot...I can’t…I just. Thank you, but no.”

“Okay, if you change your mind the offer will always be there.”

“Why don’t you go back?” Stiles said when Derek turned to leave.

“Back where?” This time Derek came all the way in and sat on the bed.

“To university, I know that’s where you were before Laura-” Stiles didn’t finish the sentence just like he never did when talking about his mum. 

“Because I have a pack, I can’t desert you all.”

Stiles suddenly had a thought. “Can we even go?”

“Of course. So long as everyone comes back regularly. Some pack leaders would say no, would keep you all here but I know Scott is going close, Lydia is too damned smart to keep her here and Jackson is calmer now but he needs to grow up. We will always be pack but sometimes you need to stretch your legs a bit.”

“You are nothing like the alphas I have pictured in my head.”

“The only alpha I knew was my dad, he had alliances with some other packs close by but he was always fair, kind. I know there are alphas who are incredibly dictatorial and let their betas and omegas have no say in anything. That is not how dad acted; he always said that the alpha needed to look after his or her pack. My responsibility is not just ensuring the pack is safe from hunters, humans and other pack’s attempts at taking their territory. My main focus has to be keeping the pack happy. I know you all want to go to college, I know you all need to do it. So I want you all to go.”

“Is that what I am? An omega?” It was the first time in over a year that Stiles had an opportunity to ask the question that had been lurking in his brain since Derek had confirmed he was a part of the pack. He never felt like less than Scott, Jackson or Lydia in the pack and none of them made him feel like that either but he wasn’t a beta, obviously.

“No.” Derek was wearing his uncommunicative face but Stiles had to ask anyway.

“So what am I?” 

“You are pack.”

“Oh well, that explains everything then.” Stiles threw the pen he’d been playing with at Derek and then froze as it bounced off his forehead but the alpha just chuckled.

“I miss you flinching whenever I walked past.” Derek said with a shake of his head. 

“Well, you don’t shove me against walls anymore.” Stiles ignored the fact his missed being shoved into things. 

“You are less annoying.”

“That’s a lie; I am just as annoying as I ever was. You just like me now.” Stiles put on his best smile.

“I do.” Derek looked way too serious so he must be being sarcastic but Stiles just kept grinning. 

“Where did you go to school anyway?”

“Berkeley.” Derek grins now.

“Course.”

“Stiles, pizza’s here.” His dad’s voice floated up from downstairs.

“Want to stay for dinner, Derek?”

“Nah, best be off. ‘Night, Stiles.”

Derek was on the roof when Stiles talked again. “I picked Berkeley because my mum went there.”

“So did mine.” Derek said before jumping off the roof.

/\/\/\ 

Lydia was pre-accepted to Caltech and MIT; she made a pro/con list. It will be Caltech though…after all, it was closer.

Scott was going to the closest California State University campus a half hour away; he had never been good at studying. Though if he managed to get his grades up he might be able to go to USC in second year. 

Jackson got a lacrosse scholarship to University of Southern California. 

Now, Stiles just needed to convince Derek to go back to university and finish getting his degree in the subtle art of growling. 

They needed to have a pack meeting so Stiles rang the rest of the pack. 

/\/\/\ 

Stiles’ dad was able to get more money from the Policeman’s Scholarship Fund. It got them most of the way there, but it will be tight – too tight. Stiles wanted to say no but his dad had already sent the acceptance letter in and told Stiles it was happening. Stiles would find a job, it’s not a good idea because of the ADHD, but he would make it work. When Stiles saw Derek for their next training session he told him the good news, he was careful not to say that they were still short of money. One argument this fortnight was enough. 

“De-rek,” Stiles panted as he dropped onto the ground.

“What?” Stiles glared at Derek who was not even a little puffed after the ten kilometre run he had just been forced into. 

“Why don’t you go back to university next year? Finish your degree.” Stiles ran through the deep breathing exercises Coach Cupcake, thank you dad, had taught everyone. 

Derek didn’t say anything just looked at Stiles for a moment before pulling his shirt over his head. All the breathing exercises in the world were pointless when faced with shirtless Derek; Stiles lost his breath again, Derek remained silent and dove into the lake that they had run to.

“Derek?”

“Swimming, Stiles.” Derek said with his back turned.

“Okay.” Stiles left it, pulling his own shirt off and getting in the water as quickly as possible to avoid being shirtless in front of Derek for too long. He was only conscious of his own overly lean torso when faced with the sheer wall of muscle that was Derek.

They swam around to both cool off and exercise before running the ‘short way’ back to Derek’s house, only two kilometres. Stiles didn’t broach the subject of Derek going back to university until they were both back at Derek’s; showered and dressed. They were sitting on the couch in front of the TV watching something trashy when Stiles brought it up again. 

“Derek?”

“Yes, Stiles?”

“Come to Berkeley with me.”

Derek turned and looked at Stiles his eyes closed off but searching. 

“Please, it will be good. I will be there and you can finish your degree. In whatever you are studying. I think it would be good for you. I know you said that we needed to grow and needed to go to university but I think you need to go back just as much as we need to go at all, Derek. You had to leave and it sucked but I think your family would want you to finish. I think you need to do something for yourself. You have fixed this place, and it is a great start; you are healing and I think we are helping. God I hope we are helping,” Stiles couldn’t stop even if he wanted to but he stopped himself from saying how much he hoped he was helping. “What happened sucked and nothing will make it okay but you have a new pack. We are your family now too. I…we want you to do what makes you happy. You deserve to be happy Derek and being home without us will just make you lonely again. So please, come to Berkeley with me.”

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I will come. You made a good argument.”

Stiles launched forward and wrapped his arms around Derek, so happy that being tactile in a pack was more than just okay it was expected. “I am so happy about this. We are going to have a great time.”

“What am I getting myself into?” Derek mumbled into Stiles’ neck.

“Awesomeness.” Stiles said when he pulled away with a grin. Derek smiled back at him and they turned back to the TV.

/\/\/\ 

A week later Stiles got a call from a woman named Janie who said he was the inaugural recipient of the Hale Family Memorial Scholarship. He was polite on the phone but as soon as he hit the end call button his body flooded with anger and he stomped out to the jeep to drive over to Derek’s house. When he got there Lydia was sitting on the front porch and handed Stiles an envelope. 

“The scholarship is legitimate. For any student who wants to attend Berkeley from any of the schools in the area. The selection criteria is all legal, Derek has committed to providing it for the next ten years to any student in Beacon Hills regardless of the school they attend. All the info is in there. Derek is in San Francisco for a couple days talking to some guy who used to know his father who might know something about that wolf that attacked you two a couple of months ago. Bye,” she brushed a kiss to his cheek and disappeared in a breeze of perfume. 

Stiles checked everything out, the scholarship was legitimate. Someone else would get it next year. He had told Derek that if he knew someone who could get him a scholarship he would take it. So Derek checkmated him. He had no choice but to take the money now.

When Derek got home Stiles drove over straight away and thanked Derek before calling him conniving and manipulative. Derek laughed and shrugged at him before telling him to run to the stream and back to warm up.

///


	6. 06 - OMITARW – 10 – Accounting (Summer after 03)

**06 - OMITARW – 10 – Accounting (Summer after 03)**

“What are you studying at uni, Derek?” Allison asked from her perch on the log next to the lake where Jackson and Scott were mucking around. 

“Accounting.” Derek replied as he threw a bottle of water at Stiles who watched it fly past his head and then looked at the ripples it made in the water.

“Accounting?” Stiles asked with a squeak.

“Yeah.” Derek walked over and placed the bottle in his hand this time while Scott grabbed the one in the lake and drank from it. 

Holy crap, I’m in love with the world’s only hot accountant, Stiles thought before opening the bottle and drinking half of it in one go. He knew he should not find the fact he was studying to be an accountant so unbelievably sexy. 

He needed to go for a swim. 

In the cold lake. 

Now. 

///


	7. 07 - FTDGASAOTHE – 04 – Mary

**07 - FTDGASAOTHE – 04 – Mary**

Stiles had been at university for six months and he was still dateless and a virgin. An honest to goodness, pathetic virgin. Not a virgin like his roommate Stan whose girlfriend refused to have sex with him but would blow him. If Stiles had to walk into their room and see roommate's girlfriend with her mouth around his cock once more he was just going to move into the park. Thank God he could escape to Derek's apartment whenever he needed some space. Derek even let him crash sometimes.

On the third day of second semester, Stiles meets Mary. Mary Jane. He texted Scott immediately to let him know that he legit met a girl named Mary Jane who laughed, honestly laughed, when he told her she could call him Peter Parker.

Stiles was still arse backwards, head over heels, pathetic love song in love with Derek but as the alpha was obviously not interested and Stiles would never grow balls big enough to tell him anyway he asked Mary out for a coffee three tutorials later. She said yes.

Stiles told Scott all about it but couldn't bring himself to mention her to Derek.

After their first date, maybe it hadn't been a date. It was just coffee with someone from one of his classes. It might've been a date but he wasn't sure. He was nervous like it was a date. After they had coffee Stiles looked at his watch and realised he was late, he and Derek had plans and he was fifteen minutes late which either meant Derek was at Stiles' dorm worried and annoyed or he was on his way there. Derek picked up on the second ring.

"Stiles?" Derek's voice was relieved.

"Derek, I'm sorry I am on my way now. I will be there in about five minutes. Where are you?" Stiles was speed walking towards the apartment as he spoke.

"I'm at your apartment, your roommate annoys me."

"Then leave and meet me at your apartment. I might be there first."

Stiles could hear Derek growl at his roommate before the door closed and he started walking down the hallway.

"I'll see you there." Derek said.

"Bye."

"Bye." Derek hung up the phone and Stiles rushed to the apartment, hoping to get there before Derek.

Stiles let himself into the apartment and turned the kettle on waiting for Derek to rush in behind him. Sometimes Stiles worried that Derek was just a little too overprotective. Worrying if he was late by any more than ten minutes but at the same time it was nice to still have someone who was concerned about him now that he is away from home and his dad. Stiles had just finished making the tea and placed it on the table when Derek slammed open the door and stalked over towards the kitchen. He stopped just beside Stiles forcing the human backwards. Stiles felt the wall at his back and lifted his head as Derek began sniffing at his neck. The alpha whined and then shoved away from Stiles and stalked from the room.

"Derek?" Stiles called after him.

Stiles heard the bathroom door slam and he sat down at the table with his head in his hands. He felt like he had annoyed the werewolf but didn't know why. He was late and Derek really seemed to hate that, either that or the other man really needed to pee and had just wanted to check that Stiles was okay before he went. Minutes later the wolf came out of the bathroom and Stiles could see the tension in his face. Even though the alpha had been annoyed, grumpy and tense from the moment they had met the look on his face now was more reminiscent of the man who had followed his sister to Beacon Hills years ago. The alpha moved over to the table, sat down across from Stiles and took a sip from his tea.

"What happened?" Derek asked his voice very calm – overly calm. Something was wrong.

"I was out having coffee with someone from one of my classes." Stiles was about to tell Derek about Mary Jane, how they had met and that she was nice and funny. That she actually looked at him when he was talking, he wanted to share this with Derek but as he opened his mouth none of it came out. Just the line about coffee. Derek's eyes flashed quickly and Stiles took another sip from his tea deciding that maybe the break in connection between his brain and mouth might be doing something nice to him for once.

Derek grunted and hunched his shoulders as he drank his tea.

Stiles stared down into the cup in his hands, trying to see something in the transparent brown depths feeling as though the room had suddenly become so much smaller.

Ten minutes passed slowly until finally Derek looked up and growled out. "We were supposed to be studying for my quiz."

"Right!" Stiles said too loudly as he jumped up and moved towards the kitchen, dumping the cups in the sink before moving into the lounge room where the books were spread on the coffee table. Half way through his first semester the two of them had started to study together for any tests, quizzes or exams, Derek never said anything, pushed for sessions for himself even though it was really more for Stiles than Derek. The presence of the alpha made it easier for Stiles to focus, the original nervousness that came with seeing Derek had diminished because they were together so much now. Not that Stiles wasn't still nervous around the alpha but it was a low, simmering nervousness instead of the spiking, overwhelming nervousness that it used to be.

Derek trailed behind Stiles and settled down next to him, pressed all along his side. Stiles was used to contact with his pack mates but normally Derek kept just a little more distance between them than the other wolves did when sitting next to Stiles. Stiles didn't move away just reached for the first book and started to quiz Derek on the pages that were marked. Ten minutes into the quiz Derek relaxed against his side and they settled into their normal rhythm, as Derek settled so did Stiles until finally an hour later he thought he might have been imagining the tension earlier.

When they stopped for a snack, which was always just after Stiles' stomach grumbled. Stiles knew Derek would have worked through but he stopped because Stiles seemed to need to eat more regularly than normal people or even wolves. Stiles got himself a sandwich and made one for Derek who is in his bedroom doing something. He sat on back on the couch and moments later when Derek came in he sat on Stiles' other side and is pushed firmly against him from knee to shoulder again.

They study for another two hours and then stretch out to watch something stupid on TV until Stiles is so exhausted he falls asleep with his head against Derek's shoulder.

A week later Stiles is coming out of class chatting to MJ when he spots Derek across from the classroom door leaning very casually against the wall and staring at him. MJ stops next to him when he freezes and turns to follow his eyes. She sees Derek and her breathing hitches for just a second and Stiles can't help but think it is fitting that every woman would find the man ridiculously gorgeous.

"Sorry, MJ, I need to go and talk to Derek. Do you want to continue chatting about this tomorrow? We can get coffee again?" Stiles looked at her as she looked up at him and smiled at the invite.

"Excellent, about two?" MJ asked her eyes staying on his.

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." Stiles smiled and then walked over to Derek who is not looking nearly as casual now, standing instead of leaning and staring at Stiles with his fierce face. Stiles is not normally on the receiving end of that look, it was normally reserved for Jackson and Scott. Stiles' steps slowed down as he approached the scowling alpha.

"Hey, Derek." Stiles tried for a cheerful tone.

"Stiles, i swung by to see if you wanted to grab some lunch?"

"Sounds good. Just had Professor Davidson who is quite possibly the most boring teacher I've ever had. How do you feel about that place off campus near your apartment with the heavenly kebabs? I have been thinking about their chicken kebabs for about the last three days." Stiles sees Derek's nod so he turns and starts walking towards the shop with Derek walking close by his side. "I've told you about Professor Davidson, haven't I? He is a journalism teacher. He knows everything, we were discussing plagiarism today and he was telling us about all of these people he knew when he wrote for the New York Times and which ones of them used to plagiarise each other, apparently one of the guys he worked with used to wiretap his work mates so he could steal their stories and contacts. What he talks about is fascinating and he knows everything and is also the most boring orator in the history of the university system. He starts to speak and I swear it's like my brain switches off. I have come up with an okay system. I have started taping the tutorials, which is nice, but then I have to listen to them again later; I can listen for no more than five minutes at a time since after that my brain starts to drift. I don't know if it's the ADHD or just the man. Some of the other people in the class have said they have trouble as well and some of them have started recording the sessions as well. We have started a little group to get together and listen and then discuss all of the things that were talked about and try to make it easier to get through the material since Professor Davidson really hates people talking in class." Stiles knew he was babbling, but nothing at that point was going to stop him; not as long as Derek is brooding next to him.

"My other classes are pretty good, the assignment I have for Folklore, which I thought was going to be really hard, is actually turning out to be pretty straight forward because I have been reading from a couple of the books you lent me from your dad's vault. He was a good fore thinker to have kept the important things in the vault even though he could have never known what was going to happen." Stiles wanted to hit himself but instead he kept going because he could not help himself. "I know you lost a heap of stuff in the fire but the books I have read so far have been great and it is surprising how many of the different resources on the internet have some stuff right. Little bits here and there. I have started to compile a list of things from the different resources that have been good and bad. A couple of times I have said something in class and the lecturer keeps looking at me surprised but really happy. I can't wait until she reads this first paper. I am insanely proud of it. So-"

"Stiles?"

Oh thank God, Stiles thinks. "Yeah?"

"Relax."

"Okay."

The two walked for a few moments in silence.

"Who was the girl you were leaving class with?" Derek asked, eyes trained forcefully on the ground at his feet.

"Mary, she is a friend from class. We have been out for coffee a few times. We are going again tomorrow." Stiles rushed out quickly.

"We're here." Derek said, nudging Stiles into the doorway.

They ate lunch slowly with Stiles babbling about class while Derek watched him with strangely shadowed eyes which make no sense to Stiles but did make him uncomfortable.

Stiles and MJ meet up for coffee a couple more times, then lunch and finally she asked him if he would like to go to dinner eight weeks into the semester just after they handed in their first major assignment. Stiles had seen a little less of Derek over preceding couple of weeks. It had been a little odd, even when they did see each other, since Derek was quieter, growls more, scowls more, is just generally more like he was when Stiles met him for the first time. Stiles found it all a little confusing but regardless he was just trying to act as normally as he could until Derek got over whatever was wrong.

"Tell me about your Dad, Stiles." MJ asks after they have sat down to dinner at some little café she suggested.

"He's a policeman, Sheriff of Beacon Hills where I'm from, about three hours from here. He's great."

"My dad is a teacher, he teaches economics."

"My economics teacher was also my lacrosse coach. He was a weird man who apparently likes to be called Cupcake."

MJ laughed before asking how he knew that.

"Well my dad went in for a teacher's conference. That did not go well; I am not good at the focussing, as you might have noticed."

MJ laughed. "You're not too bad." She said as she laid one of her hands over his. Stiles could feel his face flushing but pushed on regardless.

"So my dad is at this meeting and the teacher is waffling on about my name."

"Stiles is a strange name."

"It's a nickname. My actual name is terribly old, hard to pronounce and just generally weird. It was my mum's dad's name and she loved her dad and wanted to name me after him so my dad agreed. When I was about three I told my mum that I wanted to change my name. Since I couldn't pronounce Stilinski properly and got as far at Stile then she said she would call me that if I wanted. I didn't think it sounded right and the next thing I knew I was Stiles. She told my dad that night to call me that and that one day I might grow out of it. I still haven't. After she was gone and I was older I asked dad if I upset her when I said I wanted to change my name. He told me she had smiled when she told him and said I was so serious when I told her that I reminded her of her father. She was amazing."

MJ squeezed his hand and then changed the topic swiftly. "Lacrosse?"

"I was terrible," Stiles laughed. "I was second string, my best friend Scott was as bad as me until junior year when he…had a growth spurt and everything changed. Not that I minded too much as the year went on, we met some new people in town and lacrosse seemed a little less important after that. I played a bit in my senior year when Jackson, another friend and the captain of the team, and Scott both trained me a bit over the summer and finally I got to play. I wasn't bad but I wasn't either of them either. Jackson is at USC on a lacrosse scholarship with another friend of ours Danny."

"I played soccer at school. I was okay but I was never going to be good enough to go on."

"I don't know much about soccer."

"It's a great game; we have a pretty good team here. I am going to see them tomorrow if you want to come along."

"I would love to," Stiles is genuinely disappointed even though he would never cancel on Derek for anything. "I have plans with a friend, Derek, from home who is also studying here."

"The guy who was waiting for you outside of class a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah. That's him."

"He reminds me of Angel."

"What?"

"Angel, from Buffy. Tall, dark, hot, and brooding."

Stiles laughed at the insanely accurate description of Derek. The rest of their dinner is great, they never ran out of things to talk about and Stiles was pleased at how funny MJ was.

At the end of the evening when Stiles was walking MJ home he thought someone was watching him and kept turning to check behind him. No one was there but the feeling never went away.

Finally, Stiles and MJ were standing in front of her dorm and Stiles felt nervous, if he were in a movie he would probably be expected to kiss her. If he were in a movie he would be out with the alpha he was in love with not the amazing woman who he is fairly certain he is going to be great friends with and nothing else.

MJ lent up and kissed him, it wa a slow, soft peck on the lips that made Stiles want to smile as he returned the kiss and he was still grinning when she pulled away and smiled up at him.

"I had a great time, Stiles."

"Me too."

"Goodnight, we'll do it again soon?"

"That would be great." Stiles said as he opened the door for MJ and she walked away before he made his way back to his dorm still feeling like he was being followed. He ignored the feeling as he grinned to himself, it felt nice to finally be liked back by someone who he liked. Even as he knew that he shouldn't be doing this, he should not be dating someone when he is in love with someone else. He really should not be leading her on but it's just so very nice to be spending time with someone. He realised as he left himself into his door room that he'd never dated anyone before.

The next morning Stiles let himself into Derek's apartment and found the wolf still asleep in his bedroom. He was surprised that the wolf was still asleep so late but just made his way to the kitchen and started to make breakfast. Not long after that the phone rang, he answered it without thought and was pleased to hear Lydia on the other end. They chatted for a while until breakfast was ready and Derek had stumbled into the kitchen looking dishevelled and … well-hung over, which was impossible as the wolf would not even be able to get drunk.

"Eggs?"

Derek grunted positively and sat down with the food Stiles placed down in front of him. Stiles grinned into the phone and told Lydia that Derek was going to have to call her back but she just laughed and said she was calling to speak to him anyway.

Derek shovelled the food down, never once looking at Stiles.

"Thanks." He mumbled when he was finished. "Why did you come over?"

"We had plans. You have that big test Monday and wanted to study." Stiles reminded him with a frown.

"Oh, right. Well, don't worry. I feel good about the test. You should go and do something else today."

"Oh," Stiles said. He swallowed and tried to ignore the hole that just opened in his stomach. Normally, after studying they'd hang out. Play cards, watch TV, Derek would make him work out, they'd go for a run, they'd bake, Stiles would quiz Derek on werewolf things. If they finished early they would always do something else. "Do you have something else to do today?"

"No, I just got a fair amount of stuff done last night. Realised I know this stuff, I just don't need to study and I can use the time to do other stuff and so can you."

"Okay." Stiles stood and grabbed the dishes.

"Don't worry about them. I'll sort them out later." Stiles froze, he and Derek normally did the dishes together when he came over and cooked.

"Oh, right. Okay. I'll go then?"

"Excellent. See you later." Derek said moving towards the door.

Stiles let himself be herded to the door trying not to let the hollow feeling in his chest get any bigger. "So we still on for Monday night? Community?"

"Maybe." Derek said. "I'll call you."

Stiles steps over the threshold and turned. "Okay, well I'll see you soon then."

"Bye." Derek said, as he closed the door.

Stiles stood and stared at the door for a few moments, he might not have growled, he might not have threatened any limbs, he might not have actually kicked Stiles from the room but Derek had definitely just booted Stiles out of his apartment. Stiles turned and left heading to his room where Roommate and Roommate's girlfriend were making out, he couldn't see cock so it was better than most days. He grabbed his laptop and books and headed to the library to study, or sit in the corner and pretend to study while he went over today with Derek instead.

Two hours later, Stiles had written the bones of an essay, planned an oral presentation for another class and was playing solitaire on the computer when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Stiles turned and looked at MJ. "Hey, Stiles," she said when he pulled his headphones out.

"Hey, MJ. How are you?"

"Good, want to get a coffee?" She asked just as the person across from Stiles looks up and glares at them.

"Sure, give me a sec." Stiles packed up all the stuff he had spread out on the table. He swung the bag onto his shoulder and followed her from the library and down to the coffee shop on the ground floor. They grabbed their drinks and sat outside where the sun warmed Stiles' back.

"I thought you had plans with Derek today." MJ asked.

Stiles felt his smile drop off his face and fought desperately to get it back on there but nothing worked. "He cancelled."

"Oh...oh." MJ smiled and then sighed.

"No big deal, we were supposed to study so I was studying in the library instead."

"Who is Derek?"

"A friend. He is from my home town; we got close in my last two years of school. Our group, Scott my best friend we have known each other forever, his girlfriend/female appendage Allison, Jackson a bit of an arse, Lydia who I was in love with in high school until I realised that we would have been horrible if we ever dated all helped him rebuild his house. It burned down when he was a teenager and he left town until my junior year. He took time off from uni; he's a couple years older than the rest of us. When we were all organising uni, Allison is at UCLA, Jackson with his best friend Danny are at USC, Scott has just been accepted to go there next year too, he was at California State University this year because he is a terrible studier, and Lydia who is going to wow the world with some mathematical formula one day is at Caltech. So I suggested he go back to uni and he decided to come back and finish his degree, he's studying to be an accountant."

"I see, so you two had a fight?"

"I have no idea. We get along really well. He has an apartment off campus and we hang out a lot. He helps me study and focus with the ADHD. Then today he was just really ... no lately he's been annoyed about something. It's nothing."

"Alright, so your friend is taking something out on you, we need to do something fun. Want to come to a soccer game with me? We can scream and yell and eat junk food. I have known you long enough now that I can pig out in front of you and not care if you judge." MJ said with a grin.

"Okay, when is it?"

"About an hour."

"I need to go and dump my stuff in my dorm."

"Okay, let's go and then we can go to mine and get the tickets."

"Do I need to get a ticket?" Stiles asked as he stood and threw both their paper cups away.

"No, my roommate was going to come but her boyfriend is talking to her again so she ditched me."

"Nice girl that one." Stiles quipped grinning. It was nice to have been able to tell someone about what happened. Nice to have something else to do for a while.

"Oh she is tapped, the boyfriend cheats on her and just doesn't call and treats her like crap and she goes running every damn time he does call her."

"Don't you just love living with strangers. My roommate is constantly having oral sex with his girlfriend and neither of them are shy about it."

"Excellent." MJ said, laughing as the enter Stiles' dorm heading up the stairs to the room.

"You should stay out here just in case." Stiles added when they get to the door, he leaves her in the hall and dumps his bag as quickly as he can before grabbing a jumper. "Let's go."

MJ leads him to her door and when she opens it Stiles sees the hot woman she is living with well she would be hot if she didn't look like a hooker, skirt so short he can almost see arse, heels so high he is surprised she doesn't topple and a boob tube all topped off with huge hair and enough make up to choke a freaking horse.

"Stiles, this is April."

"Hi, April."

"Hi, Stiles."

"Okay, got the tickets lets go." MJ grabs his elbow and leads him outside.

After the door is closed Stiles leaned close to MJ. "Why was she dressed like a hooker?"

"I don't know. Beginning of the year all her clothes were the right size and covered her private parts then Luke comes along and she turned into someone else."

"Huh. Where do they play soccer?"

MJ laughed at him. "Come on."

After the soccer match Stiles invited MJ to come and try the campus' best kebabs. When they were sitting in the restaurant and MJ was explaining soccer and the awesomeness of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo Stiles spotted Derek at the door. He lifted his hand to wave just as Derek spotted him. Derek then turned and left, no smile, no acknowledgement he just turned and left.

"So, that was Derek?" MJ said, after Stiles had been silent for quite a long time.

"Yeah."

Minutes later Derek walked back into the restaurant and over to their table.

"Hi, Derek, this is my friend MJ." Stiles said after staring up at Derek for a few heartbeats.

"Hello, MJ," Derek held his hand out to shake hers and grinned with a malicious glint in his eye that made MJ shift in her chair.

"Nice to meet you, Derek," she said. "Would you like to join us?"

"Thanks." Derek sits down turning his best alpha you-must-answer-me eyes on MJ. "So how do you know Stiles?"

"We have a class together."

"Excellent. What have you two been up to?" Derek turned to smile at Stiles, there is something a little too forced in the smile but Stiles just grinned back hoping things were going to get back to normal.

"We went to see a soccer game. First one I have ever seen. It was good." Stiles jumped in and said knowing he was being just a little too cheerful.

"Soccer? Excellent." Derek said.

"I used to play in high school." MJ adds. "So Stiles told me you are studying to be an accountant, how much longer do you have in your degree?"

"Eighteen months. What are you studying?"

"Journalism. My uncle is a reporter and I loved going into the newspaper offices where he worked. I worked on my high school paper." MJ explained relaxing.

"Yeah, apparently I am the only person in the course who did not work on their school paper."

"Why didn't you?" MJ asked.

"I played lacrosse and helped build a house. Just not enough hours in the day." Stiles grinned. "But it looked interesting and I enjoy the investigating side of it all."

"What made you choose accounting, Derek?" MJ asked.

"My family business, I am the only one left now so I need to know what I am doing to take it over."

"Plus, the world could use more attractive accountants, before you know it they will be the new pharmaceutical reps." Stiles quipped, Derek grinned and MJ stared at him blankly. "Barney, How I Met Your Mother." He explained.

"Oh, I never got into that. Is it good?"

"Very." Derek jumped in. "Stiles and I watch it."

"Good." MJ said grinning at the forceful tone Derek used.

"We spend a lot of time together."

"I know, Stiles said you help him study."

"He has trouble staying focussed sometimes."

"I know, we have a study session because one of our professors is the most boring man alive."

"I heard about that. Apparently he is a great font of knowledge though."

"Oh, he knows everything but he puts you to sleep." Stiles interjected into the back and forth between Derek and MJ.

"He is bad, but Professor Danes is great, fascinating and never puts us to sleep." MJ threw in.

"You have more than one class together?"

"Yeah, Stiles and I are in two classes together. He didn't tell you?" MJ asked innocently.

"No." Derek growled which caused MJ to smile which confused Stiles who knew something he did not understand was going on in front of him.

For the next fifteen minutes Stiles watched Derek and MJ talk about him back and forth; Derek getting more and more annoyed and MJ alternating between looking worried and gleeful. There was something during the conversation that reminded him of Lydia.

Stiles looked at his watch, it was getting late and Stiles didn't want to watch this anymore, he faked a yawn. "Well, maybe it's time to go home." Stiles threw in during a pause in the banter.

"Okay." Derek said, standing and moving next to Stiles.

"I need to walk MJ home." Stiles said.

"Of course." Derek said his face darkening.

"Okay, well we should get going." MJ said, moving towards the door.

At the door Stiles looked back and forth between his two companions.

"Bye, Derek." Stiles finally said.

"Bye, Derek." MJ parroted.

"Bye, Stiles, so lovely to meet you, MJ." Derek reached out and shook MJ's hand letting the wolf come just to the surface, nothing visible just the overwhelming sense of the alpha standing before her, making MJ take a step back from him.

"Okay, let's go." Stiles said walking towards campus and MJ's dorm. A growl following them down the road.

MJ slid her arm through Stiles' to rest on his elbow as they walked, the growl getting louder.

"What is that?" MJ asked.

"Wild dog?" Stiles said quickly.

"So, Derek."

"I'm sorry, he was weird today."

"It's okay."

"He is always a little gruff, and he doesn't enjoy talking to strangers but umm even though he has been in a bad mood and was tonight he can be a really nice guy." Stiles looked up at the sky which was turning dark, heavy black clouds threatening rain.

"Oh, he was fine. I completely understand." MJ said, squeezing his elbow.

"Good, could you explain it to me?"

"No."

"Oh." Stiles frowned.

"It's not an explainable understanding." MJ explained.

"Okay, well sorry if he was grumpy."

"It was a very interesting afternoon. Do you want to get dinner on Tuesday?" MJ asked as they reached her door.

"That would be good." Stiles grinned before MJ leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Stiles."

"'night, MJ."

Stiles left the building and headed towards Derek's apartment.

Stiles knocked on the door not using his key this time. Derek swung the door open but did not grin like he normally did when he saw Stiles.

"Stiles."

"Derek, can I come in?"

"You never ask."

"I am here to ask you what the hell that was so I thought it best to not just barge in."

Derek walked into the apartment leaving Stiles to push the door closed behind him. "What what was?"

"You were quizzing MJ, you growled twice and towards the end I am fairly certain I saw a flash of fangs. I don't know what got into you. I know you have been annoyed lately. I don't know why but you have been in a bad mood and then today you cancel on me and now you spend half an hour being rude to my friend."

"I wasn't rude."

"You told her she was an idiot."

"I said something she said was idiotic. I never called her an idiot."

"Oh, well, that's so much better then." Stiles snarked at him.

"She gave as good as she got; did you tell her off too?"

"No."

"Of course not." Derek grumbled disappearing into the kitchen and coming back with a half empty glass.

"Derek, we were having a great time until you decided that you needed to come and bring your bad mood to dinner."

"So sorry to have ruined your date." Derek said sarcastically.

"Derek, I didn't actually want to come and argue with you. How about we try again. What's wrong, Derek?"

"Nothing."

"Derek, you haven't been yourself lately, I don't know why. Please talk to me." Stiles asked leaning forward to catch Derek's eyes.

"Nothing is wrong."

"Then why have you been distant and annoyed."

"I haven't been."

"Yes, you have."

"Stiles. I am fine."

"Derek, please I'm worried about you, can you please...if you don't want to talk to me talk to the rest of the pack. I cannot think of anything; I have checked all the main dates and nothing makes sense." Stiles pleaded with Derek.

"Just leave me alone, Stiles." Derek said, eyes flashing even as his voice sounded both pathetic and firm.

"Oh-okay." Stiles looked at Derek confused, worried, he wasn't sure what was wrong but obviously he was just making it worse; the older man had not thrown him out of a room in years. "Bye."

Stiles wondered around town and then campus for a few hours going over every conversation they had had for the last week and couldn't come up with anything. When he got back to his room roommate and roommate's girlfriend were again engaged in oral sex but he didn't care. He just crawled into his bed, put his headphones on and curled into a ball to go to sleep.

Three days passed.

Derek didn't call, message, just show up somewhere where Stiles was. It was the longest the two of them had been out of contact in three years and Stiles felt like he was missing a limb or something equally pathetic. He wanted to listen to country music, the music of pain, and just drink himself into a stupor but he couldn't do that. Instead he called Lydia and asked her about her latest boyfriend, she talked at him for over an hour, not about said boyfriend mainly about one of her study buddies, Logan, who Stiles thought she was developing a giant crush on, but just hearing from her made him feel a little better. Then she asked about Derek and he spent thirty minutes hypothesising about why the alpha was in such a bad mood.

Stiles' roommate had even commented on how down Stiles was and how much he had seen him. Neither of them were happy about any of it.

MJ took him to a bar on Tuesday night that didn't card and let him drink until he got maudlin and then took him home, shoved him into bed and smiled down at him before she told him that it would all get better and he would understand this one day. Then she kissed him on the forehead and disappeared.

Finally, Stiles had had enough and went to Derek's apartment. He didn't let himself in though knocking felt weird, wrong.

Derek opened the door and Stiles' stomach twisted; his alpha did not look right and he didn't know how to fix it.

"Stiles?"

"Derek. Can I come in?"

Derek looked hesitant but nodded and moved out of the way to let Stiles in. Stiles moved into the apartment and went to sit on the couch.

"Do you want something to drink?" Derek asked not waiting for an answer and moving straight into the kitchen.

"Sure, thanks."

Derek took a long time in the kitchen and Stiles tried to pretend he didn't smell the Jack Daniels in the glass Derek kept sipping from while he drank his own coke.

"Derek," Stiles had to stop when Derek's heavy green eyes landed on him. He knew the wolf was in pain from nothing more than the look in his eyes. "I'm not sure what's going on. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I know I have been spending too much time here. You need your space. I know you have your own life and you don't need to have me always around cramping your style. And I know that the fact I am here now makes everything I just said seem like a lie. I just couldn't stay away any more; the last three days have been hell. I need to fix this. Being apart is…it makes my chest hurt."

"It's being in a pack." Derek sounded so miserable Stiles just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. He would do anything, absolutely anything to stop Derek from being so sad.

"What?"

"Part of being in a pack, you all have a sense of the other members, how they feel. The alpha and your mate more than others but everyone to a certain extent. And you feel the need to be with your pack, have them close, especially when something is wrong. That's all you're feeling. It will get less hard to deal with as time passes." The more Derek spoke the more desolate he sounded and Stiles' chest knotted tighter and tighter with each word.

"No, I don't want time to pass, I don't want it to get easier I just want to fix what's wrong with us and go back to spending time together. I hate not hanging out with you. I hate it when you are mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you." Derek mumbled.

"Please tell me what's happening." Stiles knew he was begging, knew he sounded pathetic, but he just wanted to fix this.

"I just need some time."

"For what? From what? Derek, you are scaring me. I know I am acting like a girl, okay, so not Lydia, or Allison, but a stereotypical 'girl' and I don't care. I am babbling right. Derek, please I need to help you. I'm worried because you are depressed and you're my friend and I want to help. Please let me help."

"No." Derek growled. "You are only desperate because of the pack bonds and I am fine, I would be fine if you would just leave me alone!" Derek was almost yelling by the end of the sentence, his eyes electric blue. Derek stood suddenly, the glass of Jacks empty and his face half changed - the growl this time is deep and scary but also pained. Stiles stood quickly, stumbling, as he hurried to the door. He tripped over and slammed into the door knob, he knew instantly he'd done some damage to his wrist but he just needed to get out of there.

"Sorry, sorry. Bye. I won't bother you again."

Stiles pretended it was the rain when he got outside and slumped against the side of a building to cry. He pretended it was not him sobbing into his closed fist and he pretended the love of his life did not just rip the still beating heart from his chest. He pretended very hard for twenty minutes until he could stand by himself, he pretended there were not still tears running down his face as he walked towards his dorm. He pretended it was just trick of light when he caught sight of himself in a mirrored door to find he looked like he had been sucker punched one too many times. He pretended like crazy until he caught sight of his weirdly swollen wrist and then he could not pretend anymore. He sank down on a bench and cried, sobs, howls, his whole body quaking.

Everything he had come to depend on had been ripped out from under him in one sentence from Derek. Derek didn't want him in his life, which meant no more pack, no more Lydia to watch crappy movies with and eat too much popcorn, no more Jackson to beat at video games and gloat at until he wolfed out. No more belonging. He was alone. Again. Always. Forever.

He had his dad, knew even this would not remove Scott from his life but the pack was gone and Stiles didn't even know what he did wrong. Couldn't understand what he did to make Derek so angry. Even at the beginning when Derek had constantly threatened him, shoved him into walls and made him want to whimper he had never, never made Stiles feel so utterly worthless and unnecessary.

That's how MJ found him, she was out to get ice cream, and he was sitting on a bench cradling his swollen wrist with tears running down his cheeks mixing with the rain. He let her take him to the hospital and sit with him while he waited. He handed over his phone and told her Scott when she asked if she needed to call anyone, he doesn't see the surprised look on her face when he says Scott. Even though they have been on a few dates Stiles always knew it wasn't going to really go anywhere. When you are in love with the alpha wolf of your pack and every single fantasy and thought revolves around him then no one else is going to stack up. She was great, a distraction and now she is never going to want to see him again either.

It took Scott two hours. He arrived just as Stiles was taken back to see a doctor. When asked if he was family Scott said brother without skipping a beat and MJ told them she should go, she had a test the next morning but made Stiles primise to call her. Stiles figured she was just being polite.

Stiles didn't even realise how he must look until the doctor had left them to set up an x-ray and Scott leaned over gripped his shoulder and asked if the pain was really that bad. It was the first time Stiles had looked Scott in the eye and Scott gasped, he has only seen that look on Stiles once, long ago, but he could never, ever forget it. The day Stiles' mum died.

"What happened, Stiles?"

"Derek…all my fault. I am no longer pack. I don't even know." Stiles knew he was crying sgain but just couldn't stop it. He could not remember the last time he had cried. For sure he knows it was after his mum but since then…

"What?" Scott growled and Stiles automatically reached out and gripped his arm.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me, it's all my fault but he told me to leave. Never come back."

Before the doctor got back Scott received two phone calls, Jackson and Lydia, asking if Stiles was alright. Scott was quick on the phone explained something was wrong with Derek, that he kicked Stiles out of the pack. They both leave for Berkeley telling their teachers it's a family emergency. Stiles told Scott they shouldn't come he's not pack anymore but it just made Scott growl again.

When they know for sure his wrist is broken Scott calls Stiles' dad and tells him Stiles has a class the next day that he can't miss but that he'll drive him home tomorrow for the weekend to recuperate. Sheriff Stilinski was worried about his son but it's neither the first, nor likely the last, broken bone and Scott was visiting already so he had someone looking after him, would have anyway with Derek there as well.

When Stiles was discharged they walked outside to find Derek pacing in front of the doors. Stiles just walked past him, flinching away when Derek tried to stop him, lay a hand on his arm and check it out. Derek's face turned dark and hurt but Stiles couldn't see it and Scott was too pissed off to give Derek any leeway so he told him quickly the wrist was broken, he'd be fine, the rest of the pack was on the way and that they can handle it. Derek might want Stiles out of the pack but Scott will not give up without a fight.

Derek let Scott leave and went back to his apartment to finish his eighth bottle of Jacks. All his fucking fault.

Scott drove Stiles to the nearest decent motel, rented out a double room and put Stiles into one of the beds where he curled up and went to sleep. Scott wanted to go and demand an explanation from Derek but he could not leave Stiles yet.

Lydia arrived first; reeking of Derek. They sat off to the side and talk.

"Stiles is not out of the pack. Derek is being a dick. He's also so drunk he cannot stand. He told Stiles to leave, to leave him alone but given how he is acting at the moment he probably did imply Stiles was out. Stiles should know it's for life unless…he's always been too scared we will leave him because he isn't one of us." Lydia said making Scott feel slightly better.

"Is it all because…" Scott started, trailing off; not wanting to even finish the sentence.

"They are both oblivious bone heads who are pathetically, insanely in love with each other and too stupid and broken to have worked it out yet? Yep."

"I was going to say because of Mary Jane."

"Also yes. What was Stiles thinking?"

"That there is this lovely girl who is interested and the guy he really wants is straight or too good or just not interested, so...why not."

"They are both emotionally retarded five year olds." Lydia said with disgust.

"You must be talking about our fearless leader." Jackson said from the door. "How do we fix it? I could feel Derek's hurt from school."

"We all could dumbass." Scott said looking over at Stiles.

"We need to do something about this." Lydia stated.

"What? Derek is convinced Stiles is not interested, Stiles is convinced Derek isn't. Derek thinks if he lets someone in again something bad will happen. He is too stupid to a, think we would let it, and b, notice the stench of horny coming from Stiles all the time." Scott answered, this was not their first conversation about the topic but this was the first time this had all seemed so desperate.

"And now Stiles has a girlfriend." Jackson adds. "It's a good thing Derek isn't the possessive type." He earns a smirk from Scott but Lydia is still looking pensive.

"Okay, getting them to realise they love each other is not as important now as solving the problem of them not speaking and Derek being a pissy, jealous, self-destructive arse." Lydia said looking at the other betas then over to Stiles.

"What do we do?" Scott asked, wanting to fix this all desperately.

"It's already done. He will be here in as soon as Jackson goes and picks him up. Even a werewolf cannot sober up that fast." Lydia looked pleased with herself but Scott was concerned they might be rushing it.

"Is it a good idea to get him here when he is drunk? He has hurt Stiles enough already." He asked.

"We are here this time to rein in the nuts and when I was there he was so anxious about Stiles I had to stop him from coming over here before me. He cannot stand not being around if Stiles is hurt and he is blaming himself, which sure, his fault, but he does not need another thing to add to the list of reasons why he must be miserable and alone forever."

Jackson nodded and headed out to pick up their inebriated alpha.

When Derek arrived he completely ignored the three betas and sat next to Stiles; his hip pressed firmly into Stiles'. He picked up the damaged wrist to examine it as though he could see through the cast and skin down to the broken bone.

"He'll be fine." Lydia said reassuringly. Derek just growled.

Scott, Jackson, and Lydia sat back to wait. They couldn't do anything now until Stiles woke up and if anything now that Derek was here he was breathing deeper; more calm. Even more asleep than he was before.

As time passed the three betas watched their alpha succumb to the alcohol in his system and fall asleep only to curl his body around Stiles', still protectively holding his damaged wrist.

Jackson crawled into the other bed to nap after calling Danny and telling him everything was fine and reminding his friend about the assignment he needed handed in. Lydia went to get some food while Scott kept an eye on his best friend and his alpha.

When Stiles woke up he was so warm, the furnace behind him kept him drifting in a comfortable dreamy state he did not want to leave. He knew the smell surrounding him, Derek, so he knew he was safe. He just wriggled and went back to sleep happy to have Derek wrapped around him. Stiles woke up again an hour later still wrapped up in Derek but this time the alpha was awake and moved when he realised the human was also awake.

"Mmm, Derek." Stiles mumbled as Derek pulled away. "Derek!" Stiles opened his eyes and stared at Derek shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"You're hurt." Derek said, letting go of Stiles' injured wrist.

"You kicked me out of the pack."

"What?" Derek bellowed looking over at his betas surprised.

"Earlier, you told me to leave you alone, told me I was the problem. You kicked me out."

Derek's eyebrows knitted and he glowered at Stiles for a moment before speaking. "You are still in the pack. Nothing could change that."

"You told me that I was the problem. You told me to leave."

"I know."

Stiles looked over at Lydia, Scott, and Jackson who all looked back at him and shrugged. Stiles lifted his hand and slapped himself in the forehead not realising it was his injured hand. "Ow, ow, ow." He said rubbing his forehead with his other hand and glaring at the three beta wolves who laughed at him while Derek yanked his hand away from his forehead and looked at the red mark spreading across the skin there.

"Don't do that!" Derek growled.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Stiles muttered.

"Did you hurt your wrist as well?"

"No. Stop being nice!"

"Why?"

"Because you should not be nice; it makes it harder for me to be annoyed at you. You kicked me out of the pack a few hours ago. How can you now be worried because I broke a couple bones in my wrist?"

"I did not kick you out of the pack." Derek growled his fangs dropping and eyes shifting to electric blue. "Stop saying that. You are in this pack for life."

"Life?"

"Pack is for life, Stiles. You are pack for life."

"Then why the fuck did you kick me out of something I can't be kicked out of?" Stiles growled out doing an excellent imitation of Derek.

"I did not kick you out of the pack. I have stuff going on and I took it out on you. Sorry."

"You took it out on me? Oh, well, that's fine then. What are you having your period?" Lydia growled from behind him. "Sorry. Shit!"

Derek growled at him. "I am your alpha, you need to show me respect."

"Yeah, and you need to not be an arse."

"I am not an arse." Three betas behind him scoffed at him while Stiles glared at him. "Okay, so I could have handled this better. I did not want you to get hurt."

"It's my fault I'm accident prone."

"Was it when you ran out of my apartment because I growled at you?"

"No." Stiles lied.

"Werewolf. Do not lie to me."

"Fine, I did it on your door knob."

"Fuck, see what I mean." Derek turned to his three betas. "Never fucking forget this. You will hurt everyone you care about."

Stiles hit Derek in the head with his cast.

"Ow! What?"

"Kate! KATE FUCKING ARGENT killed your family. It had abso-fucking-lutely nothing to do with you. Sure she worked out who the wolves were because she manipulated you and basically acted like the psychopathic bitch she was but it is not your fault you did not know she wanted to murder your family. You were a teenager and she was a sociopath. Sociopaths are manipulative, evil bitches who take advantage of people without them knowing what is going on and then, bam, they murder you or in your case they murder your family. Laura had to have told you it is not your fucking fault." Stiles stopped yelling at Derek his chest heaving.

"I never told her."

Stiles hit him with the cast again.

"If you keep doing that you are going to break your cast." Jackson piped in.

"You never told your sister that you thought it was your fault that your entire family was murdered?" Stiles asked incredulously.

"No."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because, they were our parents. I didn't want her to know that I got them killed."

"You did not light the match. You did not come up with the plan. You didn't know what she was."

"I should have known. I should have been able to tell she was lying instead all I was able to think about was how much I wanted her."

Stiles sucked in a breath and swallowed harshly. "You were a teenager." Stiles said more quietly no longer yelling at Derek.

"But I should have known better I was raised to be alpha. I should have known better."

"Laura was older." Lydia said confused.

"She didn't want to be alpha. She wanted to be a doctor; it's too much of a responsibility to also have a job like that so I was raised to be alpha. Normally in a family the position of alpha is passed down by choice. Then they died and Laura was older so automatically became alpha and that was all my fault too, I ruined her life. She was stuck being alpha so she could never be a doctor as well. Our family was dead, Uncle Peter was in hospital and we had to leave everything we have ever known and it was all my fault."

"Why couldn't she pass it to you?" Scott asked.

"It has to be down a direct line since it passed to Laura it could only be passed to one of her children. That's why Peter didn't automatically become alpha." Derek explained.

"Do you really think she would blame you for something that Kate did?" Stiles asked quietly.

"Why wouldn't she?" Derek's eyes didn't leave Stiles' face and Stiles could see that he truly believed every word he was saying. "I have blamed myself every day since it happened."

Stiles opened and closed his mouth twice then just pushed himself over on the bed and wrapped his arms around Derek motioning the rest of the pack over. The three betas crawled onto the bed and curled themselves around the pair all touching Derek somewhere.

"It wasn't your fault, Derek, you made a bad choice in a girlfriend but her actions are not, have never been, your fault." Stiles whispered his head tucked between Derek's neck and Jackson's elbow.

"She chose to use you, she chose to find people who would hurt your family, and you did none of that." Lydia continued her arm wrapped around Derek's waist, he head resting on Scott's shoulder.

The other two betas were silent until Stiles bumped Jackson. "She was hot, even older, I'm sure it wasn't your fault she used her looks against you. She was a bad person; you could not have known what she was going to do." Jackson said getting pinched by Lydia for the hot comment before he found the right sentiment.

"One person cannot be responsible for what another person does. We make choices only for ourselves. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. You let Kate in but you did not make her kill your family."

"Oh my God, you guys are useless." Lydia muttered. "Derek, if Jackson got involved with someone who betrayed us would you blame Jackson or the person who betrayed us?"

"That really is different." Derek said from where he was stuck under his pack. "Is this really necessary?"

"Derek," Stiles started. "We are your pack now, right?"

"Yes."

"And a pack is basically a family, right?"

"Yes."

"So we are your family now, right."

"Yes."

"So as your family this is our way of telling you, you are not to blame for what Kate did, you do not hurt everyone you meet. You have not hurt me."

"Your wrist is broken." Derek argued. "That is my fault."

"Huh, I don't remember you grabbing my wrist and snapping it." Stiles said, unable to smack Derek again.

"I scared you, you ran away, and you hurt your wrist. My fault."

"I pushed you when you didn't want to talk, you asked me to leave. I hurt myself. My fault."

Derek growled in the middle of their group hug. "You don't understand."

"Well no, but you also don't understand. We are your family and we know it wasn't your fault." Stiles said.

"Do we have to keep hugging?" Jackson asked squirming even as the closeness of the pack pile was easing the tight feeling that was created in all of their chests by the pain the alpha had been feeling.

"No." Derek said starting to move.

"Wait." Stiles and Lydia said together.

"Ugh." Jackson said remaining where he was.

"Derek, we are not moving until you admit that Kate made the decision to hurt your family and that you had no actual control over what she did." Stiles said moving around to get comfortable.

"Stiles."

"Yes, Derek?"

"You are a pain in the arse."

"I know, and you will never throw me out of the pack so I can be as annoying as I need to be."

"You shouldn't have said anything, Derek." Jackson said. "He could go back to being worried we were going to kick him out of the pack because he isn't a werewolf."

"You thought you being human would matter?" Derek asked Stiles, pushing everyone away enough to turn his head.

"Well, human members of packs are rare, normally kept only to be omegas, to serve. Or if a member of the wolf family is born without the werewolf gene. So eventually either I would have to become one or I'd be out." Stiles shrugged moving almost every arm around him.

"You are an idiot." Derek muttered.

"Goddammit, Jackson, you couldn't have kept your mouth shut until we got him to admit something. Okay, everyone can let go now we are not going to get anywhere." Stiles said, pulling away knowing that Derek would not come back to the Kate topic now that he had something else to focus on. Scott shifted next to Stiles, moving to sit on the corner of the bed, Lydia crawling up to rest against the cushions, Jackson sat next to her letting his hand rest on her knee, Stiles pulling away to sit cross legged in the very middle of the bed while Derek settled back onto his part of the bed.

"Pack piles like that are usually used for healing." Derek muttered.

"Oh, that whole thing was designed for you to heal." Lydia said looking at Stiles.

Derek stared at Stiles for a moment, his head bent down, his broken wrist encased in a cast and his shoulders slumped.

"Stiles?" Stiles looked up at him. "Why the hell do you care when I have been treating you badly?"

"Because you are my family." Stiles said, staring Derek in the eye. "You are the family I choose."

Derek sat back, "I'm sorry I treated you so badly. I won't let it happen again." Derek said reaching a hand out to rest on Stiles' undamaged wrist.

"Okay," Stiles said with a weak smile.

"No!" Scott said from the corner. All eyes turned to him. "Stiles deserves better than that, he doesn't deserve to be treated badly. He deserves better." Scott said firmly.

"I agree." Derek said. "It won't happen again."

Scott was about to continue arguing for a better apology but Stiles grabbed his wrist and stared him in the eye communicating with him as you only can with the man who you have been friends with most of your life to leave it alone this time. If it happened again then Scott could wolf out and protect him as much as he wanted.

"It's okay." Stiles said, just as Scott's phone goes off. He grabbed it and looks down at the alarm.

"Either we check out or someone needs to pay for another day." Scott announced.

"We'll go back to my place. You three check us out. I want to talk to Stiles for a moment." Derek instructed his pack.

When everyone had left, Derek walked Stiles into the elevator and pressed the button for the roof. Stiles watched the numbers go up while he waited for whatever Derek was going to say.

"I wasn't strong enough to protect them." Derek said quietly.

"You were a teenager, you have protected us repeatedly. You have kept me alive more times than I can count."

"I am the reason you are in danger."

"No, I am the reason I am in danger. The night Scott was bitten I thought I was protecting him from getting into trouble but I was just leaving him alone for the alpha. I had no idea, but part of the reason Scott is a wolf is because I pulled him out that night. I took him into the woods. So it is up to me to make sure he is safe. He is my brother, in every way that really counts, so I will gladly walk into danger for him. And now I would gladly walk into danger for any of you. I choose to be a part of this. You asked me once if I wanted to be part of the pack and I said yes. I knew what I was saying yes to. Sure, some things have come as a surprise but I chose this." They had reached the roof. They waited for the elevator doors to close before Stiles pressed the button for the lobby. "If you don't accept that you had no control over what Kate did you will never let yourself be happy; I just want you to be happy. You are part of my family, Derek."

"I might not have had any control over what she did to them but I bought her into my house, my family. I let her in, told her everything she needed to know. I showed her the basement where they started the fire, I snuck her into the house using the route they used to get in."

"Did you know what she was going to do?"

"No."

"Then it is not your fault she took advantage of you. I believe that if your family were here they would say the same thing." The elevator doors opened and they both stood there for a moment still not looking at each other.

"Okay." Derek conceded. "It's not all my fault."

"I'll take that." Stiles said turning to smile at Derek softly. "Come on, I have a class this afternoon. I am catching a lift with Scott. We need to talk."

Stiles walked from the elevator with Derek trailing slowly behind him. "You are my family now too, Stiles." Derek whispered into the void unheard by the man walking towards the sunshine outside.

Stiles climbed into Scott's little blue car and Derek got into Jackson's all three cars pulling away and heading for the alpha's apartment.

"Scott," Stiles said after a while.

"He should have to do more than just apologise. He doesn't realise what he did to you. I saw the look on your face at the hospital, Stiles. I never wanted to see you look like that again."

"I know."

"You are letting him get away with too much because you're in love with him." Scott said annoyed.

"Listen, Scott. He hasn't been himself lately. I don't know what was wrong with him but the way he looked; it was like when we first met him. He looked hollow and miserable. He didn't look like that today. I have faith in him. He won't do it again."

"If he hurts you like that again I am going to rip his fucking arm off." Scott swore and then parked in some random street parking so he could turn and look at Stiles.

"That seems fair." Stiles said. "I know I am letting him off easily. But I just can't make him look like that again. The last few days being apart they made me feel like someone had ripped my chest open. If he makes a habit of treating me like crap I will happily hold him down...okay, strap him down so you can remove body parts. But he has not treated me badly in years. He has not been mean to me, threatened me in years. Not since before he became the alpha."

"But if he is mean to you again."

"One armed alpha." Stiles agreed with a grin. He wasn't worried; he had faith in Derek.

"Okay, but you deserve better, Stiles."

"Oh yeah, what do I deserve?" Stiles asked when Scott pulled back onto the road.

"Someone who loves you back," Scott said, adding silently. "Who is not afraid to say something?"

"I really do, I also deserve ice cream."

"With marshmallows and chocolate chips." Scott threw in.

"And chocolate sauce."

"And jelly beans."

By the time they parked near Derek's apartment the chocolate sundae was full of every lolly and chocolate known to man and the idea of it alone could have sent them into sugar shock.

Derek was waiting at the open door when they get inside. "You took a long time, why?"

"Scott and I stopped to have a chat." Stiles said moving into the lounge room, the pack trailing behind him.

When the pack was all sitting in Derek's lounge room Stiles decided he needed a shower before his class. Lydia gleefully wrapped his arm in glad wrap, then a rubbish bag secured with masking tape that was going to hurt like a bitch when they took it off but they had nothing else to use. Stiles' arm looked ridiculous but he shrugged and made his way into the shower while Derek went into the kitchen and started making lunch for the pack. Scott trailed behind him soon after.

"Derek?"

"Yes, Scott."

"You are my alpha and I respect that so please take this in the way it is intended."

"I already know, Scott."

"But I need to say it. If you treat him like that again I will do something about it. It will not be pleasant and the fact you are my alpha won't matter to me. Stiles lets himself be treated badly for the people he loves. He loves this pack, he loves you as well." Scott knew Derek was so oblivious he'd take the more innocuous meaning. "He will allow himself to be taken for granted, he will allow people to treat him worse than he deserves. I know I have been guilty of it over the years but he is my brother, in all the ways that matter, and I will not allow anyone to treat him badly anymore."

"Scott." Derek turned to look at Scott, catching his eye deliberately keeping the wolf deep, deep down. "I won't treat him like that again. I will protect him, he is part of my pack and I will make sure he is treated the way he deserves."

"Good. What are we making?" Scott left the conversation there. Now they both knew where they stood.

"Scrambled eggs, French toast. Stiles' favourite breakfast."

"Good choice, I'll get the toast organised." Scott reached for the necessary ingredients.

Derek turned as well with the hint of a smile. He was glad that Scott was willing to stand up for his best friend, knowing someone else was constantly looking out for Stiles as well always made Derek feel better.

"I'm curious about something." Scott said a few minutes later when he has moved in front of the stove. "How did you know he was at the hospital?"

"He texted me. Told me he was hurt and at the hospital. When I got there ... I didn't go in, I waited for him. Then he didn't want to speak to me. I don't know why he even let me know he was there."

"I didn't message you." Stiles threw into the conversation from where he stood in the doorway wearing an oversized pair of track pants and a Beacon Hills Lacrosse team shirt. "MJ must have sent it when she called Scott."

Derek kept his back to Stiles. "That was nice of her."

"She is a nice girl. Good friend."

"Friend?" Scott asked handing Stiles the glass of juice he poured for him.

"Yes." Stiles said slowly, looking at Scott strangely.

"Just a friend?" Jackson added from behind him.

"Yep." Stiles said. "What are you cooking?"

"Scrambled eggs with French toast." Derek said without turning around.

"Excellent." Stiles moved over and broke a piece of the French toast. "Thank you, Derek."

"You're welcome, go and sit down you are supposed to be resting."

"I have a class this afternoon."

"I call dibs on taking you." Lydia called from the lounge room.

"I can take myself."

"No, Lydia is going with you." Derek said, pulling out his Alpha voice.

"Why?"

"Your wrist is broken and you might need help with something so Lydia is going with you. Deal with it." Derek shooed Stiles from the kitchen and when he was sitting on the couch Derek put his plate down on his lap and then dropped down next to him allowing his body to press snugly against the entirety of Stiles' left side.

"Fine. What about you? Aren't you eating?" Stiles asked.

"Later. Eat." Derek dropped his head back to rest against the couch and closed his eyes while Stiles started eating.

The three beta wolves got up to go and get their breakfast. "Leave enough for Derek." Stiles ordered.

"Yes, Stiles," came the chorus of voices from the kitchen.

Derek was grinning when Stiles looked at him; watching how much more calm the man was now they were all home. "Eat, Stiles."

"Yes, Sir." Stiles quipped getting back to his food.

Three hours later Lydia and Stiles walked out the door heading to his class. They made it to the end of the street before Lydia grabbed Stiles' elbow and stopped him.

"Is MJ in this class?"

"Yes, why?"

"I want to meet this girl."

"This is going to be bad, isn't it?" Stiles mumbled as they started walking again.

"No." Lydia laughed.

"Tell me about Logan." Stiles changed the subject.

"He's smart. Really smart, he is a theoretical physics student. He's cute; he has the most beautiful eyes."

"Has he asked you out yet?"

"No. I don't think he is going to."

"Why not?" Stiles asked.

"I just get the feeling he isn't interested. We hang out and we study together sometimes and I thought there was something there but he avoids any discussion of anything more than just being friends. So I have decided to just let it go and move on."

"Okay."

"I don't mind, not really. It's not like I was in love with him or anything."

"Okay."

"I mean I think about kissing him sometimes and it makes me blush even though I have no idea if he'd even be any good at it. Plus he's lovely to talk to." Lydia's voice was soft and dreamy, and Stiles wanted desperately to meet the man who had caused this change in her.

"I want to meet Logan."

"Never."

"Just me. No Scott, or Derek or Jackson. Just little old me. I'm lovely. I promise to say nothing but hello."

"No. None of you." Lydia said forcefully.

"Fine, this is my class. What are you going to do while I'm in there?"

"Be in there with you." Lydia said with an easy grin.

"If you get to meet MJ, I should get to meet Logan."

"No. Come on." Lydia stepped into the lecture theatre waiting for Stiles to come in and find a seat. "Where do you sit?"

Stiles sighed. "Come on." Stiles moved down towards the middle of the room spotting MJ, Christopher and Michael who he sat with in this class. "Hey, guys." Stiles said when he sat down. "Lydia this is MJ, Christopher and Michael. Guys this is my friend Lydia. She thought I might need a slave since I broke my wrist."

"MJ was telling us you might not be here since you were in the hospital yesterday."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Stiles blushed lightly. "Thanks so much for taking me to the hospital. And calling Scott."

"And texting Derek." Lydia pipped in unable to stop herself.

"Yeah, I know you didn't ask me to but I know how close you are."

"Thanks."

"How'd you hurt yourself?" Christopher asked.

"I slammed my wrist into a door knob."

"And it broke?" Christopher looked sceptical.

"Yep. Apparently I did an awesome job of breaking it too. Doctor said I was lucky not to have to have surgery."

"Ouch, how long will you have the cast?" MJ asked.

"Three months."

"Wow, you did a good job." Michael threw in.

"Yep, my dad is going to be so proud." Stiles nodded grinning.

"Well, really, why wouldn't he be? Nothing like an accident prone son." MJ laughed just before the professor walked in.

When the class was over Lydia lifted her head from Stiles' shoulder and whispered in his ear. "My God that man is boring. How do you stay awake?"

"Sheer force of will. We tape the lectures and get together to listen and chat and work out what we missed in the actual class."

"You are smart, Stiles. Ingenious." Lydia complemented.

"I know. Michael and Christopher have crushes on you already; they kept staring at you on my shoulder." Stiles whispered back as the other three packed up their things.

"Coffee?" Christopher asked hopefully.

"We always go for coffee afterwards. Just because Stiles is now handicapped doesn't mean he suddenly doesn't want to come with us to complain about Professor Davidson plus we need to get to know Lydia." Michael said grabbing the tape recorder off Stiles' desk and his bag before standing and gesturing for the two pack mates to precede him out of the room. Stiles laughed following him, throwing an arm over Lydia's shoulder and leaning down to continue their whispered conversation.

"See, they think you're pretty and want to get to know you."

"Well, have you seen me, I'm hot."

"Smoking, I used to think you were the bee's knees."

"What happened?" Lydia said forlornly. "Why am I no longer the bee's knees?"

"Because I came to the realisation that as awesome as you are, and that is very freaking awesome, you are my friend not the girl I want to worship until I die."

Lydia sighed and dropped her head onto his shoulder. "Alas, I think you would be great at worshipping me for the rest of time."

"I am excellent at the worship. But could you see us dating?"

Lydia scrunched up her nose. "No, probably we are friends who were never meant to date."

"What are you two whispering about?" MJ asked when they were standing in the line ready to order.

"Stiles' undying love for me and why we would never work out." Lydia said with a wide smile making both Christopher and Michael grin at her.

"You never mentioned that you had undying love for Lydia." MJ smiled.

"Come and sit, I'm not sure introducing the two of you was one of my best ideas." Stiles sighed before leading the group to a table. "I don't have undying love for Lydia. It was a crush in school, she is delusional and one of my best friends."

Lydia moved away from Stiles and sat next to MJ where they began chatting quietly. Stiles kept an ear on them but without super special werewolf hearing there was no chance he was going to be able to hear what they were actually saying. Two cups of coffee were spent watching Lydia and MJ chat and pretending to talk to the two other guys at his table who were busy watching Lydia and ignoring him. After he finished his second cup he went over and asked MJ to come outside with him; leaving Lydia to fend off advances from his two friends.

"MJ, there is something I want to talk to you about."

"Last night, right?"

"Well, I wanted to thank you for your help last night I wasn't really myself, I don't really remember a lot of the time we spent waiting but I really appreciate the way that you took me to the hospital and sat with me and thanks for letting Derek know."

"You two sorted things out?"

"Yeah, big misunderstanding."

"Like the fact you're in love with him and he doesn't know."

"I-" Stiles started to argue but given the look in MJ's face he knows it's pointless. "I'm so sorry, I never meant. I thought-I really like you."

"I really like you too, but we are just going to be friends."

"That's my line."

"I figured that's what you wanted to talk about. We are still going to hang out, right?"

"Of course. I.." Stiles stopped not wanting to finish the thought.

"You thought you could try to move on."

"Yeah, are you psychic?"

"I realised you liked him when you were telling me about him the other day and then at dinner and then last night. You know he loves you too right?"

"No. Derek is...Derek is just, he's protective and my friend but he's not...he is never going to. It's not something. Derek isn't in love with me." Stiles face was red, his voice an octave too high and he knew for a fact that he was not going to be able to form a coherent argument at all. MJ might get him but she didn't understand Derek.

"I thought so."

"What?" Stiles was confused and had no idea what the hell was going on. He had never actually told anyone that he had feelings for Derek, Scott knew but he told Stiles and just laughed when Stiles feebly denied it until he caved and nodded, he'd never actually said the words aloud to anyone, and she knew and, oh God, what if Derek worked it out. "Derek doesn't know I'm in love with him, right?" Stiles breath was coming a little too quickly. If Derek worked out he was in love with him it would all end and they wouldn't be able to hang out anymore and then he'd be awkward and sure he couldn't be kicked out of the pack but still it would be mortifying and...

MJ grabbed Stiles' hand. "Derek has no idea Stiles, relax."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, as positive about that as I am about the fact that you are in love with him. He's as blind as a bat, darling."

"Okay," Stiles eyes drop down. "Sorry."

"You are so cute."

"Kill me now." Stiles said dropping his head onto MJ's shoulder. "Cute is never going to get me laid."

MJ laughed so hard she folded in two. When she finally calmed down she continued to grin at Stiles. "Telling Derek you're in love with him will get you laid."

Stiles' face turned immediately red. "Oh God." He moaned.

"So cute."

"You seemed so sweet." Stiles grumbled before slinging an arm around MJ. "Now I see I was deceived and you are actually evil. It's always the cute ones I have crushes on."

"Stiles, if you were not in love with Derek I could easily fall in love with you." MJ said leading them back over to the coffee house where Christopher and Michael were captivated by Lydia.

"Sure, sure. Thanks MJ I was worried you were going to hate me for misleading you."

"You weren't misleading me; you were trying to mislead yourself." MJ shrugged leaning up to kiss his cheek.

When they got back to the table, Lydia stood up, "I have now had three text messages from Jackson, two missed calls from Scott and a call from Derek as well as two text messages asking where we are. We need to get back before they call in the cops."

MJ laughed. "You oblivious fool." She muttered beneath her breath making Lydia hide a smile behind her hair as she reached around for her and Stiles' bags.

"It was lovely to meet you, MJ, hopefully we will see each other again. Christopher, Michael, it was nice to meet you as well."

"Bye, Lydia, see you next week Stiles." MJ said, grabbing her bag and the boys who parroted their goodbyes before dragging them from the coffee shop.

Stiles grabbed his bag from Lydia and slung it across his chest. "Let's go."

"So that was MJ." Lydia said with glee.

"After the cast comes off I am driving to Caltech and meeting Logan." Stiles grumbled.

"I like her."

"So do I, but we are not going to see each other anymore. We are just going to be friends." Stiles shrugged sliding an arm around Lydia's shoulders.

"How do you feel?" Lydia asked, stopping to wrap her arms around Stiles in a tight hug.

"Relieved, a little actually. I was going to tell her that we needed to just be friends. I really like her. But...there is someone else who I have feelings for and she deserves better than someone who is trying desperately not to be in love with someone who is not her." Stiles said into her hair.

"You are an amazing man, Stiles."

"That is the consensus today. But, alas, the person I want to notice me doesn't."

Lydia hugged Stiles tighter wanting to save him from being sad hearing it in the way he was speaking, in his tone and even in his heartbeat which made no sense. "You deserve to be happy and you will be, Stiles, trust me."

"I am in love with Derek." Stiles whispered barely making a sound.

Lydia pulled away from Stiles.

"Don't...don't say anything. Don't tell anyone. I know it'll never happen. I know it will never work and I know that I need to get over him but I don't know how. So can we just pretend that you still don't know and I'll pretend I didn't tell you? Okay?"

"Okay." Lydia said, grabbing his hand and continuing off campus to Derek's apartment. They walked quietly the rest of the way there.

Stiles unlocked the door, the doorknob disappearing out of his hand before he could open it. Derek was standing on the other side. "Derek, hey."

"You should have been here an hour and a half ago." Derek growled.

"We went for coffee with some people from class." Stiles said as Derek scented him and then scowled and stalked back into the apartment before turning suddenly and coming back to Stiles with a forced smile on his face.

"Are you okay? Is your wrist sore?"

"Not sore, but I'm tired."

"Come on." Derek said grabbing his uninjured wrist and pulling him into the apartment and then through to the living room. "Sit down and rest." Derek handed him the remote and then pointed around the room. "Water," he pointed to Jackson. "Sandwich," he pointed to Scott. "Something else," pointing at Lydia.

The three scurried off. "I can get things for myself you know." Stiles said getting comfortable on the couch.

"Let them take care of you for a change." Derek said, sitting down at Stiles' side.

"Are you okay? You look distracted." Stiles asked, turning to look at him.

"Nope, what are we watching?"

"Don't know, let's see what's on." Stiles turned the TV on letting his body curl into Derek's a little.

Lydia made sure she was sitting in the kitchen where Derek would be able to hear them before she started talking. "Stiles and Mary Jane aren't dating anymore."

"Really?" Scott asked.

"Stiles told her that he really likes her but they should be friends. She agreed and said she knew that he was an amazing guy and that she was sorry that they didn't work out but that they had to keep hanging out." Lydia confided planning on sharing the rest of her gossip later.

"That sucks for Stiles." Jackson said.

"I don't think so, he liked her. They had fun but I don't think there was anything more. Apparently if you don't put yourself out there then you have no chance of actually being in a relationship." Scott could hear Derek in the lounge room listening to them intently.

"I put myself out there all the time." Jackson preened.

"We know." Linda said slapping him upside the head.

"I don't need to put myself out there, I have Allison." Scott said with dreamy eyes.

"God, you disgust me. In fact both of you disgust me." Lydia said rolling her eyes.

"Why aren't you putting yourself out there more?" Jackson asked slinging an arm around her shoulders. "You deserve to have some boys trailing behind you with sad, little, puppy dog eyes."

Lydia elbowed him in the stomach. "I do, but since most of the guys I go to school with are extras from Big Bang Theory I don't have many options. There are a couple of professors..."

"You cannot date a professor!" Jackson said pulling her around to look at him.

"Why not?" Lydia asked hiding her smirk. It was insane how protective Jackson was of her now. He had never been this sweet when they were dating which is exactly why they had never worked and why they would never, ever again date.

"Professors are old and just want to take advantage of young, innocent women."

"I'm not young or innocent. I'm a werewolf who can take care of herself." Lydia grinned lifted her chin in defiance.

"Course you can." Stiles said coming into the kitchen to get a drink. "But Jackson is right; don't get involved with a professor."

"I never intended to, if I had one who looked like Sheldon I would, but, all of mine are old and not hot."

"You think Sheldon is hot?" Jackson asked pulling the juice bottle out of Stiles' hand to open it.

"I can do that myself. I can see where people would think he was attractive." Stiles watched Jackson wave him off and then pour him a drink and put it on the table. "I am not an invalid. It's not even the first time I have had to deal with having only one arm. I broke my arm when I was eleven."

"You got very good at doing everything one handed; you even kept riding your bike." Scott said sitting with Stiles and stealing his juice while he was distracted.

"Scott!" Stiles stood up to get another drink and a packet of chips from the cupboard to drop onto the table in front of the two wolves who tore into them.

Derek came into the kitchen moments later with a grin on his face. Lydia smirked at him as he dropped into the seat next to Stiles and slung an arm along the back of his chair. Stiles handed him a pile of chips with a smile. "When do you guys have to head home?"

"I promised your dad you were coming back for the weekend. We'll leave in the morning." Scott said.

"Are you two coming?" Stiles asked Jackson and Lydia who both nodded.

"'Course."

"Excellent. We can have a movie night at Derek's. Allison can come. Is she going to come home too?"

"Yeah, she said she is coming home since she has no Tuesday class next week. She was already coming," Scott grinned.

"Excellent, Saturday night I expect all of you to be at Derek's." Stiles said firmly.

"Do I get any say in this?" Derek asked pressing closer in next to Stiles while the three betas watched amused.

"No...if you don't want us to come over, we won't." Stiles pouted.

"Of course you can come over."

Stiles grinned at him. "6?"

He got three nods and one lack of a glare so he figured that the time was set.

"What are we doing tonight?" Lydia asked taking the final seat at the table.

Stiles caught Scott's eye, the werewolf shaking his head emphatically.

"What?" Jackson asked.

"Well, I know what I would love to do tonight." Stiles said grinning widely and evilly.

"Oh God." Scott said his head thumping down on the table in front of him.

"This is going to be bad, isn't it?" Jackson asked knowing they would be doing it regardless because Stiles wanted to and he was hurt and Derek was desperately trying to make up for kicking Stiles out of the pack.

"Monopoly!" Stiles said with glee.

"Okay." Derek said, "but I don't have monopoly."

"Yes, you do." Stiles said.

"No, I don't." Derek said firmly.

"You totally do," Stiles shot up and moved into the spare room where Stiles slept whenever he crashed here. Derek followed behind him.

Stiles opened the closet, pushed aside the few clothes he had hanging in there and then grabbed the brown paper bag at the back of the closet. Stiles pulled a box from the bag and then hid the bag back in the closet.

"You hid monopoly in the closet?" Derek asked.

"Yep. So I am thinking monopoly, pizza and ice cream."

"Okay what else was in the bag?" Derek asked as Stiles pulled him from the room.

"Nothing, come on." Stiles dragged Derek back into the kitchen and dropped the game on the table before reclaiming his seat.

That night the pack played monopoly, Stiles slaughtered everyone sending them to the poor house and bankruptcy before they all admitted defeat and Stiles got to preen during the movie and pizza.

The next morning they all got up early to drive home to Beacon Hills, Derek driving Stiles, the other three taking their cars so they could get back to school after the weekend was over.

When the five of them were in the car on the highway home Lydia waited until Derek was a decent way ahead of them before she indicated to a parking area watching to make sure Jackson and Scott were following her. Moments later she was out of the car with Jackson and Scott looking at her questioningly.

"What?" Jackson asked.

"I didn't tell you everything."

"Well, obviously." Scott muttered. "What happened?"

"MJ and Stiles went off to have a chat and Stiles didn't go far enough away for me not to hear."

"He does that deliberately." Scott said.

"I know. Do you want to know what I heard?" Lydia turned her superior stare on Scott and he grinned at her before nodding.

"Tell us." Jackson prompted her sitting on the boot of Scott's car, Scott joined him and Lydia smiled at her captive audience.

"Well I chatted to her for a while. She is really nice and would be perfect for Stiles if he wasn't in love with Derek. But the awesome thing is that she worked out that Stiles is in love with Derek and called him on it. He blushed and it was so cute. Then she told him he should tell Derek because the man was obviously in love with Stiles as well. Stiles scoffed at her but for a moment he looked so bloody hopeful. Anyway she told him he was amazing and she wanted to be his friend and that she hoped he would be happy."

"That's it?" Jackson asked.

"You have no soul." Lydia bemoaned. "No, that's not all. On the walk back to the apartment Stiles told me about the conversation. Then he told me he was in love with Derek."

"He admitted to being in love with Derek?" Scott asked surprised. Scott knew and Stiles knew he knew, he'd worked it out, called Stiles on it one day but Stiles had never actually said the words to him. Never admitted it with anything more than a nod of his head or a lack of denial.

"Yes, he said nothing was ever going to happen. He knew that Derek was not interested but that MJ was right and that he was in love with him. Then he swore me to secrecy."

"And you did such a good job of keeping that promise." Jackson said.

"God, I wish Allison was here." Lydia sighed.

"She had a huge test." Scott explained again.

"I know. But she would be much better to discuss this with than either of you heathens."

"We know this is big, Lydia." Jackson said giving her a hug. "They'll get there eventually. If not, we'll lock them in a room and just see how long it takes for them to go at it."

Lydia laughed at him before returning the hug. "I'm finding Allison as soon as we get home. We need to get going before Derek notices something."

Scott growled at Lydia. "No, Stiles gossip can wait." The beta said firmly. Lydia laughed all the way to the car.

Lydia, Scott and Jackson got back into their cars and drove to Beacon Hills and their pack home.

///


	8. 08 - Pack Visit

**08 - Pack Visit**

Derek opened the door, standing behind it was a tall man in a dark blue suit flanked by three large men wearing sunglasses and eight people behind them, men and women who were all standing, heads bowed, below the man smiling with deadly glee at Derek.

"Mr Wolfram." Derek's stomach filled with worry at the man standing before him.

"Derek Hale, you look so much older than the last I saw you." Mr Wolfram said with a deep, husky voice.

"It was the funeral, at least ten years ago. Would you like to come inside?"

"Thank you, Derek. Boys with me, the rest of you wait out here." Mr Wolfram followed Derek into the house.

Derek had only seen Mr Wolfram a few times in his life, but he had known from the very beginning that he was not a good man. He was not a good alpha. He had a large pack but he was dominant to all members in a way that most alphas were not. He demanded complete subservience; the three men were betas, his most trusted. Bodyguards, who were allowed to stand close, but always behind unless there was danger. The other group would be here to serve him, fetch things, provide anything he wanted; omegas probably but there may be some betas. They would never be allowed to stand on equal footing, would always have to bow. He was a powerful werewolf but not the type that Derek's father had been, or, for that matter, the type of alpha Derek was. His visit could not be for anything good.

Derek led Mr Wolfram into the lounge room, waving him into a chair. His three betas flanking the back of his seat and remaining standing only because they were told to.

"Derek, I have the…" Stiles walked into the room and stopped short seeing the group.

Derek stood and looked at Stiles, he forgot he was coming over. Shit, this was going to be terrible.

"Derek, who is this little human?" Mr Wolfram called from behind him.

"He is my omega." Derek looked at Stiles pleadingly. He had kept the man out of the way last time, protecting him from exactly this with a different alpha. Stiles' eyes dropped to the floor as soon as Derek said omega. His head bowed; eyes up looking at Derek which Mr Wolfram would not be able to see from his position. Derek wanted to hug the younger man; knowing that he had been researching. Stiles knew what he needed to do. This would be humiliating for him but hopefully he would know what was happening. Derek mouthed 'knees' to him and turned to Mr Wolfram.

Derek turned and smiled at Mr Wolfram. Stiles dropped to his knees next to Derek, his head still bowed. Derek placed his hand on Stiles' neck, he let his claws extend but Stiles' heartbeat didn't change. Derek kept his pinkie out of sight and rubbed the soft skin of Stiles' shoulder telling him he was doing well.

"He is a well-trained omega, Derek. I am pleased you are controlling your pack correctly. Where is the rest of your pack?"

"In town, getting my shopping."

Mr Wolfram smiled. "You have more sense than your father. He was never very concerned with correct pack behaviours and hierarchy."

"Mr Wolfram, I am my father's son. Please remember that." Derek's eyes flashed blue quickly.

"Of course." Mr Wolfram smiled.

"May I offer you a drink, Mr Wolfram?"

"Coffee, black, no sugar." Mr Wolfram said. Derek knew better than to offer anything to the men behind him. He remembered these visits from when he was a child; he and Laura had hidden and watched from the staircase.

"I will have coffee too, Stiles." Stiles bowed his head and moved away waiting until he was behind Derek before standing and walking from the room, his head always bowed.

"How big is your pack now, Derek?"

"I have three betas, one female and Stiles."

"Stiles is an odd name."

"It is not his given name." Derek did not want to share too much about Stiles. An omega wolf was the most vulnerable member of the pack. At least to wolves like Wolfram. And a human was even lower than an omega wolf. He wished he could send the youger man down to the panic room but he had been seen now and he would be expected to wait on them for the remainder of the visit. Derek just hoped Stiles would be okay and that Mr Wolfram would not stay long. If Stiles did something wrong Mr Wolfram would expect Derek to punish the human and he did not want to, refused to, but could also not afford to make an enemy of Mr Wolfram if it could in any way be avoided. Derek's father had been powerful, with a large family and a great deal of alliances with like-minded packs. Derek had maintained those connections but he didn't have the same strength behind him. He couldn't afford to challenge Wolfram. He had wanted to protect Stiles from this side of werewolves. There were some very old fashioned packs out there, fewer than in the past, and so long as Stiles did not want to be a wolf, and Derek was able, he would protect him from the sadist side of this whole thing he would. Stiles wasn't really even their omega, and he never would be, but anything to protect him.

Stiles came in with the two coffees. He kept his head down and shoulders hunched never looking at Mr Wolfram as he placed his coffee down in front of him. Derek moved and sat down across from Mr Wolfram. Stiles placing his coffee on the table and then dropping to his knees again beside Derek's chair his head still bowed. Derek put his hand back on Stiles' neck, showing his dominance to Mr Wolfram and, hopefully, his reassurance to Stiles.

"You have been alpha for three years now, Derek." Mr Wolfram started.

"Yes, I took over from my uncle. Peter, I'm sure you met him."

"You mean killed him, all the animal attacks were obvious."

"He was rabid." Derek said, not apologising for the murder.

"Yes, he was. It was a terrible thing that happened to your family. But it would have never happened to a stronger alpha, a stronger pack." Derek felt Stiles tense under his hand so he continued to rub his pinkie finger along Stiles' skin.

"My father was a strong alpha. He was not the type of alpha you are Mr Wolfram but he was strong. It is impolite to come into my home and talk against my father. I will not allow anything to injure my pack. We are small but we are more than capable of taking care of ourselves." Derek's voice was firm but polite. He would put on a performance for Mr Wolfram so that nothing happened to Stiles, he would do what he needed to protect his pack but he would not allow anyone to come into his home and treat him as anything less than an alpha.

Mr Wolfram laughed. "You remind me a lot of your father, Derek."

"Thank you." Derek heard the car coming down the driveway. Stiles must have texted the cavalry while he was making coffee. Derek couldn't have a better mate than Stiles who was constantly smarter than anyone gave him credit for and was always keeping the pack safe in any way he could. Derek was never going to claim Stiles, or for that matter date him, but so long as he was a member of the pack they would survive anything that came their way. Derek squeezed Stiles' neck hoping that he would know that the pack had arrived.

Jackson, Scott, and Lydia walked into the room and came to stand behind Derek; none of them looked at Stiles or showed any surprise that he was kneeling next to Derek with his head down. They formed a guard behind Derek and he felt them all close to him, felt their strength at his back.

"Where is their shopping?" Mr Wolfram asked.

"In the car, Stiles, go." Scott said eyes not flickering down to him friend.

Stiles nodded and moved from the room and out the back to where the three had parked the car, away from the wolves out front. Derek relaxed slightly now that Stiles was out of the line of sight. He kept his ear on Stiles just in case but focussed his eyes on Mr Wolfram.

"My pack, Mr Wolfram, Scott, Jackson and Lydia."

"You have a young pack, Derek. But I do like your female." His eyes glued to Lydia, Derek assumed she was wearing her fuck off face.

"Young and strong." Derek said with pride.

"Yes, you took care of the wolf I sent for a visit a few months back."

"You sent him."

"Yes."

"There was no reason to send a wolf here to attack my pack. We had shown no threat to you."

"Just a test," Mr Wolfram said with a smile and a shake of his hand.

"I do not appreciate being tested, Mr Wolfram."

"No, but you are young."

"I may be young but I am their alpha and if you send another wolf I will have to assume it is a sign of war."

"Oh no, Derek," Mr Wolfram laughed again. "Not war. I like to know about the other packs around me."

"Of course, but you can see how I could mistake what you did as an act of aggression." Derek made sure he was relaxed back in his seat, showing that he felt that his pack was in no way threatened by the older, more powerful alpha sitting across from him.

"Of course, but there is no reason to worry, Derek. After all, our families are old friends."

"Yes, I remember the meetings you had with my father."

"He was always very stubborn."

"You will find I am just as stubborn, Mr Wolfram."

"How unfortunate, Mr Hale. Though you seem to have better ideas about pack hierarchy than your father."

"As you said. But like my father, I have taught my pack how to act given the situation they are faced with."

"So your little human omega hasn't been properly broken in?"

"Stiles knows exactly how to act as the omega of my pack. And the way I treat my pack is my business and no one else's."

"We shall see."

"I must say your visit is a surprise."

"I prefer surprises; it is so much harder to be prepared for them." Derek supposed that would be true if he didn't have a pack of fiercely loyal betas and Stiles who had ADHD, was obsessive, and liked to read the musty old books that had survived the fire or were in the family vault like they were not centuries old and in some cases not even written in English.

"Surprises only work on those who are not always prepared, Mr Wolfram."

Stiles walked back into the room and dropped down beside Derek who immediately wrapped his hand around his neck. He didn't know which was better - him being away from Mr Wolfram or him being where Derek could feel that he was okay.

"Yes, and you appear to be prepared, Mr Hale."

Stiles twitched at the change in salutation and Derek wanted to smile, Stiles understood, he always understood.

"We are a small pack, we have hunters in town. We are always prepared." Derek knew his eyes flashed for a moment, barely long enough for it to have even been noticed but Mr Wolfram would have.

"Hunters? I dislike hunters, would you like help taking care of the problem?"

"We don't have a problem," Derek knew Scott would be tensed but hopefully the beta could hold it in. "We have an understanding; we do not hunt humans, and they do not hunt us."

"No humans?" Mr Wolfram asked his eyes lighting.

"I never developed a taste for it Mr Wolfram, it was not how my father did things and there are easier ways to settle problems than ripping someone's throat out." Stiles twitched again.

"Of course, your father's influence again, Mr Hale."

"And of course my mother." Derek watched him tense; his eyes flashed for a moment and knew the blow had landed perfectly.

"Of course."

Derek watched Mr Wolfram, neither speaking nor moving. Derek didn't know what else the man wanted but he would not give him the satisfaction of asking.

After long minutes, that felt much longer, Mr Wolfram stood, his three betas taking a step back. Derek rose too, his betas taking a step forward but Stiles remained exactly where he was.

"Lovely coffee, Mr Hale. Thank you for your hospitality. You must come and visit me some time, bring your pet and the female. We could have a lot of fun." Derek knew Lydia would love that.

"Thank you for the invitation, I will of course take you up on the offer some time."

"Yes, well, I need to leave. Goodbye, Mr Hale."

"Mr Wolfram, thank you for visiting."

Derek and Mr Wolfram shook hands before Derek escorted the man to the door. Derek could hear Stiles clearing up in the other room as quietly as possible; sometimes it was very hard not to just kiss the human. Derek stood on the steps, his betas flanking him as Mr Wolfram and his envoy got into their cars and drove away. Derek remained stiff and formal until long after the noise of the cars had disappeared.

Finally, he turned to his betas and silenced their questions. "Run," he asked, ordered. They all nodded and changed running from the house in opposing directions. Derek walked back into the house and to the kitchen where Stiles was doing the dishes.

"Stiles."

"What can I get for you?"

Derek walked over to the man and placed a hand around his soapy wrist. "When you are finished here meet me in the lounge room."

"Of course." Stiles lifted his head and continued washing dishes when Derek turned to leave the room.

Stiles came into the lounge room just as Scott and Jackson came back. Both shook their heads but no one talked until Lydia walked into the room and shook her head as well.

"Well done." Derek said slumping back against the back of the chair.

Stiles sat down and smiled. "You all looked very formidable in your formation."

"I was talking to you, Stiles. You did an amazing job. I did not want you to have to deal with that but you did great."

Stiles blushed. "After the last pack visited I translated the section of that book that was in Romanian about pack dynamics and the roles of each member of the pack. I knew I was an omega even if you guys don't treat me like one so I wanted to know what I was supposed to do."

"You are not an omega, Stiles!" Lydia said firmly.

"I am; human and not a mate. I am the omega. It's cool. I would be pissed if I had to act like that all the time though."

"Most packs don't act like that at all anymore." Derek said hoping to move the topic along, Lydia was right but Derek did not want the idea planted in Stiles' head. He would investigate until he knew everything and then Derek would be screwed, and even though Stiles didn't want him it might ruin everything.

"But it figures some would so I wanted to know. It helped at school too, I referenced it in a paper I did last semester." Stiles shrugged.

"I bet you were the only geek to reference a book in Romanian they had translated themselves." Jackson said with pride as he rubbed Stiles' head before flopping down next to him.

"I was, I got an A but the teacher asked to see the book. I put her off because it was the end of semester and hopefully I won't have her next year and she'll forget."

"You can show her that book," Derek said his eyes closed all the tension leaving his body now. He felt so comfortable surrounded by his pack knowing they had just passed yet another test.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's not one of the sensitive books. If she asks again you can take it in."

"Thanks, Derek." Stiles beamed at him and then turned to the pack as a whole. "Anyone else hungry?"

"Starving," Jackson and Scott chorused.

"I am thinking toasted cheese sandwiches." Stiles said standing.

"No!" Derek growled and rose.

"Okay, so no sandwiches for Derek." Stiles said with an easy grin.

"No, Stiles, you can't make them." Derek clarified.

"Why?" Stiles asked curious, he always cooked; he was the only one who really could. Lydia was alright and Derek could feed himself but Stiles knew how to cook.

"You are not our slave." Derek said his eyes flashing.

"Yeah, he is," Scott said slinging an arm around Stiles' shoulder. "He told us so."

"What?" Derek asked.

"And I quote," Scott pulled out his phone and showed Derek the text message.

**Scary alpha dude here, get shopping, come quick and treat me like a submissive slave. Stiles.**

Derek growled and wrapped a hand around Stiles' upper arm pulling him from Scott. "You three go and make the sandwiches, enough for me and Stiles too." The three betas grinned and left the room. "You are very smart, Stiles." Derek pushed Stiles down onto the couch, and sat next to him. He sat too close, knew he was too close but he didn't care and Stiles didn't say anything. Derek handed the remote to Stiles and let his head flop back against the back of the chair. "You are not our slave."

"I know that, I wouldn't let you treat me like one either. I am the only one who can cook worth a damn and I like not getting food poisoning." Stiles grinned as he turned on the TV and started flicking through the channels.

Derek smirked, "They can handle grilled cheese; and I sent Lydia in to supervise." Derek turned his head and breathed in deeply, pulling the scent of Stiles, happy and safe, into his lungs allowing it to calm him, reassure him.

"What is the deal with your mum and Mr Wolfram?" Stiles asked holding his breath and wondering if Derek would be annoyed or would answer.

"You noticed that?" Derek rolled his head but didn't sit up.

"It annoyed him."

"You were staring at the ground."

"I have super powers," Stiles grinned.

"Mr Wolfram knew my dad from university. They both met my mum at the same time. He liked her, pursued her but she refused him. She liked Dad, they dated, got married had Megan, Laura and I. Then, well, you know the rest."

Stiles wished he could ask Derek more about his family; he would love to know what they had all been like. He did not want to make Derek sad though. For some reason Stiles wanted to know about Megan most of all, Meg as Derek normally called her. But she was the member of his family that Derek was the most hesitant to talk about. Stiles let the topic drop and moved his attention back to the TV.

Stiles finally settled on something, the three betas came back with a mountain of grilled cheese sandwiches and the five pack members spent the rest of the day watching whatever Stiles wanted.

Lydia sat back and watched her alpha and his mate and wondered how a man who could teach himself Romanian so he could read an old book, who was almost as smart as she was and who knew more about being a werewolf than most of the actual ones in the room could ever mistake his place in the pack for that of an omega. She wanted to slap him, she wanted to slap them both, but she knew neither of them were ready for all of this yet.

///


	9. 09 - FTDGASAOTHE – 05 – James

**09 - FTDGASAOTHE – 05 – James**

"Hey, Dude." Stiles let himself into Derek's apartment, threw his jacket on the back on the chair and headed straight for the kitchen and an afternoon snack. "So, I had my first class for journalism for the year. I have Professor Davidson again. The man was bad enough last year but he seems to get more boring the harder the stuff he's teaching gets. I am going to bash my head aga-" Stiles was pulled back from the fridge suddenly and Derek was sniffing him. "What? Derek? What's wrong?"

"You smell wrong."

"Wrong?" Stiles was freaked now, wrong could mean any number of things.

"You reek of that boy."

"Huh?"

"That boy you are living with. You smell of him, why?" Derek was growling now, right next to Stiles' ear which was exactly what Stiles did not need. Moving out here and having Derek as his constant companion had not helped Stiles in any way. Maybe if Derek hadn't come to finish his degree, or maybe if he wasn't so insistent that they remain close. If Stiles were honest with himself he was so in love with Derek by this point nothing could change how he felt. He mum used to say Stilinski men loved once and loved hard. She used to tell him sometimes when he would wrap his body around her and tell her how much he loved her that he was just like his daddy, when he met her he proposed and just kept asking until she had said yes. It took three weeks.

"I had to borrow his soap; he used mine for something in chemistry. He is such an arsehole." Stiles thought Derek would move away after that but he didn't.

"I do not like this smell. Go have a shower." Derek growled.

"Seriously?"

Derek stepped back. "I have a very sensitive nose."

"Oh," Stiles slapped his palm into his face. "Course. I'll come back later."

"No!" Derek wasn't looking at him anymore but his hands were clenched.

"Dude, okay. Sorry. Shit, I didn't know. I'll just shower here. Sorry." Stiles scurried from the room eager to get rid of the smell that was pissing the wolf off so much; idly wondering which of the scents used in the soap was the problem; so he could avoid it next time. He didn't normally use body wash just soap so maybe it was just the liquid soap.

Stiles stripped and looked at his clothes, they would smell too; he threw them in the washing machine just outside the door glad Derek didn't catch his naked dash, he didn't want to get any more of the scent on anything of Derek's. He dashed back into the bathroom and ducked into the hot shower. He stood under the spray for a long time, before he grabbed Derek's soap and lathered himself from head to toe figuring that the wolf's soap would not bother him. He lathered and washed three times until his body was red and pruny before he got out of the shower. He pulled one of Derek's towels around his body, he hadn't thought to bring one of his own but it looked fairly clean and he could wash it.

When he was dry and wrapped in Derek's towel he realised he was not prepared to actually leave the bathroom. He had no clothes; he'd taken all of his clothes home over the summer and hadn't bought anything new back yet. If he left the room in nothing but a towel he would be unable to hide his reaction to Derek. Crap, why did he keep putting himself in situations where he was likely to make a complete and utter fool of himself.

He walked out of the bathroom wishing he was buffer, wishing he had some muscles. Just once he would have liked to have stood next to Derek and not felt so damned scrawny. He didn't feel scrawny normally, years of werewolf training, had given him tone, but he never filled out. Not that he minded, okay not that he minded except when Derek saw him shirtless.

Derek was in the kitchen cooking something when Stiles walked in. "Derek? I'm washing my clothes but umm, can I borrow something to wear?"

Derek turned the heat down on what he was cooking and came over to Stiles and sniffed at him, after walking around Stiles twice and sniffing him repeatedly while Stiles recited all the elements he could remember Derek seemed to purr. It was the only thing Stiles could compare the noise the werewolf made to. Derek purred then moved away and walked into his bedroom. Stiles stayed at the door not sure if he could walk into a room with Derek's huge bed and not just crawl on, present himself to Derek, and beg to be fucked.

Derek found some sweat pants and an old soft top and threw them at Stiles. "They should fit. Make sure you don't use his soap again."

"Nope, I'll buy a stockpile of soap and hide it under my bed."

"Why don't you just move in here already?"

The first time Derek asked that question was the first week of last year when Stiles had to explain to him why he smelt like he had participated in a three-way. Werewolf noses were too sensitive if they could pick the stench of sex from where you had accidently fallen on your roommate's bed after he has been getting frisky with his chastity club girlfriend. Every time the same thought went through Stiles' head. _Because if I lived here you'd find me crawling into your bed and attacking you one night because I really want you to fuck me. A lot, repeatedly, for days. Until I cannot walk._ Stiles never actually told him that though, just shrugged and mumbled something about the college experience. He was sick of living with James though. The other man stayed up all night studying and he needed to click his pen 'to think properly man, just like calm down'. He always smoked pot in the room and it made Stiles sneeze. He also liked to use a really bad British accent when he was high. He never wore pants. He stole Stiles' stuff, never asked, and never replaced anything. And now he had made Stiles' alpha have an allergic reaction to the smell of his body wash, fucking with him was one thing but making him smell hideous to werewolves was another. It had only been two weeks and Stiles was about to shoot his roommate in the head, or sic his werewolf on him.

The idea of living with Derek had always appealed to him. He had wanted to say yes and move in straight away, every time he was asked; the only thing stopping him was the idea of having to spend the next three years hiding his reaction to Derek every moment of every day. He didn't know how he was going to resist making a fool of himself. However, the idea of living with James for a year was a fair worse fate than making a complete fool of himself by throwing himself at Derek.

"Okay."

"What?"

"Yes, I'll move in here, if you are serious."

"Good, we'll move you in tomorrow. You don't have classes and I only have a late one."

"Excellent." Derek grinned at him, flashing all his bright, white human teeth and making Stiles respond in kind. This would be okay, Stiles' had been hiding his attraction for three years he could keep doing it for another three.

Stiles moved into what would be his room and changed. This was going to be good.

Derek was in a great mood for the rest of the day after Stiles washed James' soap smell off him and agreed to move in.

///


	10. 10 - OMITARW – 07 – Ethic (Between 05 & 06)

**10 - OMITARW – 07 – Ethic (Between 05 & 06)**

Derek listened to the banging coming from the other room for as long as he could.

"Stiles?"

"Yeah?" The banging stopped for a moment.

"You need to stop throwing that ball before I walk over there and rip your hand off."

"Sorry." Stiles appeared in his doorway apologetic. "I didn't realise you were home."

"What's wrong?"

"I am having trouble with one of my assignments." Stiles dropped onto the couch next to Derek.

"Stiles. When is it due?"

"Tomorrow." Stiles thumped his head onto the table in front of him.

"Okay, go get your notes."

"What?"

"We will get it done. Come on." Derek pushed Stiles towards the bedroom and his notes.

Stiles came back moments later with a notepad, some loose paper and his laptop. He dropped everything onto the table and Derek grabbed the laptop. He opened it and looked at the word document open already.

"Journalism Ethics. Describe three examples of major ethical change in journalism. Each example should be viewed based on positive, negative and legislative changes that it caused in the world of journalism." Derek read. "Sounds riveting."

"I know."

"Okay, Stiles. Tell me of three examples."

"Muhammad al-Durrah incident, Adnan Hajj photographs controversy, and Michael Gallagher."

"Okay, tell me about them."

Stiles started talking and Derek typed everything he said. Two hours later they had over 6000 words, 2000 more than needed. Stiles started to re-write the information, adding referencing and altering things, culling what he could. It took the two of them five hours to finish the assignment, printed, and ready to go.

"Thank you so much." Stiles said. "I am going to make you an amazing dinner."

"Really?"

"Your favourite. My famous mac & cheese."

"I love your maccaroni cheese." Derek grinned.

"I know." Stiles moved into the kitchen finding the ingredients needed and making miracles with them.

After the food was in the oven cooking Stiles came back into the living room to find Derek sprawled on the couch eyes closed.

"It smells amazing." Derek said.

"Of course it does. It's mine."

Derek grinned at Stiles before moving so there was enough space for him on the couch. Stiles flopped next to him and found the remote.

"Thank you. I thought I would be able to get there eventually. I knew the stuff but I just could not get it onto the paper."

"It's okay; you made it a long way into university before it was a problem."

Stiles pressed into Derek's side and asked what he wanted to watch.

"We can keep going with Daria." Derek mumbled.

"Anything you like, you choose."

"I did."

"I chose Daria." Stiles insisted.

"Well then I choose to continue to watch it. I'm enjoying it."

"Okay." Stiles got up and got the next disc into the DVD player before settling next to Derek and pressing play.

///


	11. 11 - FTDGASAOTHE – 06 – Apartment – Part 01

**11 - FTDGASAOTHE – 06 – Apartment – Part 01**

The morning after Stiles finally agreed to move into Derek's apartment Derek broke into Stiles' dorm room and woke him up from the small ball he made on his bed to pack his belongings. Between the two of them they had everything packed and in the van Derek had rented by mid-morning. By lunchtime, everything was in Derek's apartment. All of Stiles' things spread throughout Derek's - no their - living room. When the last box had been carried up Stiles handed Derek a sandwich and shoved him out the door so that he wouldn't be late for class.

Three hours later, Derek came into his apartment, the entire smell of the place subtly changed. The scent of Stiles had always been strong, he spent most of his free time there but the scent now was different, as though in three hours Stiles had been able to claim the whole place. The subtle change made Derek grin as the scent wafted through the open door. He walked into the apartment and found his living room immaculate. Cleaner than it had been when he woke up. None of Stiles' things were still in the room but his scent was everywhere. Derek walked through the apartment; the kitchen was spotless, the bathroom smelt clean and the stack of washing that had been there this morning was gone, the lingering hint of washing powder hanging in the air, he ducked his head into his room but nothing was changed. He finally made it to Stiles' room to find the entire room had been taken over, Stiles' belongings were everywhere and the younger man was lying on his bed, eyes closed with the faint sound of Dave Grohl's singing reaching Derek's ears. Stiles was snoring quietly sprawled out on the bed, arms and legs thrown wide enjoying having something more than a single bed again. Derek smiled; he did not know how the man had...the Adderall? Derek walked into the room, leaned over the bed and sniffed at Stiles' neck. Derek breathed deep, pulling the scent down to the very bottom of his lungs and holding it in, imagining for one fanciful second that the scent might travel through his body in the oxygen he breathed in. Derek scented from the juncture of his neck and shoulder up to just behind his ear. He loved the smell of Stiles; below the soap that always clung to the boy was a sweet scent like ripe fruit and something that always made Derek think of the ocean. Stiles mumbled in his sleep and Derek pulled away swiftly not wanting to wake the other man now that he was sure he had not been overdoing his medication again. The scent was always there but never like it had been the night Derek had found him; basically comatose and he had threatened him about overdosing again. Even thinking about how Stiles had smelt that night made Derek want to change and eviscerate something.

Derek shook himself and moved away from the bed and out into the lounge room. He turned on his laptop and started on the assignment he had been given less than an hour ago, anything to get his mind off thoughts of Stiles slowly destroying himself with medication. After a half hour, when his heartbeat had completely returned to normal and the sick feeling he got whenever he thought about that night had left he realised he was starving. He hadn't had anything to eat since the sandwich Stiles had made for him at lunchtime. How on earth did the guy get so much done? Derek didn't understand Stiles sometimes - most of the time. The younger man was a mystery Derek wanted to solve, maybe then he could actually step back and let Stiles go; he knew he had to let Stiles go. After the debacle the previous year with Mary he knew that Stiles would eventually find someone to love.

Derek moved into the kitchen. When he opened the fridge he found a big dish he did not recognise full of pasta and sauce with a note on it telling him to put it in the oven when he found it and to wake Stiles up when it was ready if he was still asleep. There was definitely something wrong with Stiles but Derek turned the oven on anyway. Even though Stiles often cooked when he came over and they had dinner Derek had not expected this when he had left for class.

Minutes later Stiles strolled out of his room stretching. "Hey, Derek."

"Stiles." Derek closed his laptop and turned to face Stiles.

"Good class?"

"Yeah. How did you get all that done while I was out?" Derek asked watching Stiles walk into the kitchen, check the pasta bake before he came back out and sat facing Derek with a sleepy smile that made Derek's heart clench.

"Easy, I really didn't have that much and I just cleaned as I was putting stuff away and then I made dinner and had a nap. Nothing much."

"You don't need to do that."

"Well, we never discussed rent and chores and stuff."

"You will not pay rent; you can chip in for food and everything else. Clean up after yourself and we can work out something for the proper cleaning later."

"I want to pay to live here." Stiles said the sleepy look being replaced by a mixture of his determined and annoyed faces which Derek remembered well from the terrible argument about who was paying for university. But this part of their first day together Derek was prepared for.

"And I don't pay rent, or for that matter the mortgage. I own the place so I don't pay anything to live here either. We can split the actual bills we get so that is fair. I don't want you to work anymore than you already are. The library is a great job for you and if you need to pay rent you would need something more and I want you to do the best you can in your classes. So I am putting my foot down about rent." Derek let his eyes flash knowing it would do nothing.

Stiles laughed at Derek and his electric blue eyes. "You had me right up to the foot stomping like a two year old throwing a tantrum."

Derek grinned which looked both sexy and sinister when coupled with the electric blue wolf eyes.

"So, deal?" Derek asked.

"Deal. I don't really like it but I also don't want to fight about it and I know you are not doing it with nefarious purposes." Stiles grinned easily before reaching for the remote and pausing. "Are you studying?"

"No. I was doing some research but I'm bored and if I want I can do it with the TV on. What are we watching?"

"Well we still have a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy on the hard drive." Stiles grinned.

Derek sighed but nodded. Stiles grinned knowing the alpha liked the show even if he pretended to watch it under duress.

"Okay." Derek said putting his laptop down.

"Do you want a drink before we start; it will be about half an hour before the dinner is ready."

"I'll get it." Derek said before bouncing up and coming back with two glasses of water knowing Stiles would want it about ten minutes into the show, he always did.

/\/\/\

Living with Stiles was a different experience to what Derek expected.

/\/\/\

Six weeks into the arrangement, Derek had to sit Stiles down to have a talk.

"You have to stop this."

"Stop what?" Stiles asked perplexed.

"Cleaning and cooking and just generally doing everything around here."

Stiles shrugged, something Derek found himself hating at times like this when Stiles was being deliberately obtuse. "I don't mind. I like cooking, I find it relaxing and I am used to cleaning, and just generally being helpful is good, right?"

"I don't like that you are doing everything, I come home from class and the place is spotless. Why?"

"I clean up early and then go to class; most of them are in the afternoon. I'm not much for sleeping in; I always found it hard to sleep."

"Stop it. Before I have to make a fucking schedule to divide up the workload." Derek said annoyed.

"Fine." Stiles said.

He didn't stop and finally Derek set his alarm for too early and cleaned before the other boy got up every day for a week. They finally sat down and discussed how they were actually going to do this.

"I'm doing the cooking." Stiles said.

"Deal." Derek wasn't that fond of his own cooking. Hell, he didn't think he could ever go back to actually having to eat his own cooking. There were only so many times you can eat nothing but toast.

"Dishes."

"Together."

"Deal, I wash." Stiles claimed.

"Fine." Derek was happy with that arrangement, he preferred wiping.

The cleaning discussion ended with Derek throwing things at Stiles' head and telling him he was a stubborn arse just before Stiles kicked Derek off his chair and declared himself the winner before stomping into the kitchen to make dinner.

They never resolved the issue, instead spending their time trying to one up the other until Derek woke up to find Stiles cleaning the oven at 3am with a shrug and the defence of not being able to sleep.

Allison suggested they clean together, Lydia suggested they get someone in, Jackson asked why they were so worried about cleaning and Danny hit Jackson upside the head. Derek told them all to mind their own business. Stiles thought about what Allison said with a chuckle; that really was no fun - seeing Derek growl through the crack in the door when he woke up and realised Stiles had cleaned something was fun.

/\/\/\

Derek came home from a long day and called out to Stiles. The other man appeared to be out so he walked into the laundry, stripped off all his clothes, and walked into the bathroom. He paused just over the threshold. The door had been closed, holding the smell in, it was an old smell though, as faded as the scent of soap and toothpaste but it was far stronger than either. Derek's cock twitched and he debated stepping out of the room but his legs were carrying him further in and the door was closed behind him locking the scent in with him. He knew Stiles did it, of course he did. Derek did too, but he had the protection of a human roommate who would never be able to smell it hours after it happened. Normally it was just a passing scent, Derek barely caught it and it was gone. But Stiles had closed the door and the bathroom window was closed and the smell clung in the air to taunt Derek when he got home. He turned the shower on not even bothering with cold water. He'd had a crappy day and Derek had never claimed to be a strong man.

Derek stepped into the shower breathing in the scent of Stiles' shower and the smell of his come that hung in the air. He wrapped his hand around his cock and felt guilty as his hand started moving along the hard, sensitive flesh.

Derek pictured it in his head, remembering the different times he'd seen Stiles shirtless, the image of Stiles naked immediately popped into his head. Stiles standing bent forward a little; his head pressed into the shower wall as the water pouring down his back, in and out of the long lines of muscles, over his firm backside, and the long length of his legs. Stiles with his hand wrapped around his cock. Touching himself slowly, working himself up until finally he'd come, his face changed showing his joy and his body tensed as his fist continued working. Derek's head thumped against the tile in front of him and he came painting the wall mixing the new scent of himself in with the old scent of Stiles' come.

Derek thumped his head against the wall a couple of times. Bad idea, very bad idea. It was not a good idea for Derek to allow himself these little weaknesses. It was dangerous; he already wanted Stiles too much. He wanted to be the only person Stiles would ever allow to touch him like that and it was a bad idea, a terribly bad idea. Derek thumped his head against the wall one more time and then washed himself and went into his room to get dressed and find something to eat. When he made it back into the kitchen he heard Stiles' key in the lock and he could feel his face heat.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"I went and got kebabs. Took forever; hope you haven't eaten. Samuel was there and complaining about his girlfriend - she's nuts."

"Thanks, new one?"

"Yeah. I knew you had that oral presentation today and that you had a long, crappy day beforehand so I thought I'd get you something nice, something of a reward for doing so well."

"How do you know I did well?" Derek sat next to Stiles on the couch putting the plates and glasses on the table in front of them.

"You practised on me yesterday, it was great."

Derek and Stiles spent the night together and Derek promised himself not to be weak like that again…he lied to himself - it was a promise he would never be able to keep.

/\/\/\

Derek opened his door; Lydia was standing on the door step with an overnight bag over her shoulder and tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Derek growled pulling her inside.

Stiles popped out of the kitchen when he heard the words. "With who…Lydia. What's wrong?" Stiles walked over and wrapped Lydia up in a hug. She dropped the bag and practically fell into the hug.

"Oh, Stiles, it's terrible."

"What's terrible?" Derek asked not sure what to do with himself, he knew it was true but he wanted to know why the female beta was more comfortable seeking comfort from Stiles than from him.

"Is it Anthony?" Stiles asked.

"No!" Lydia said pulling away.

"Is it something Anthony shaped?"

Lydia grinned weakly and nodded. "No, I don't cry over boys."

"Course not, come in and tell me all about it."

"Can I help?" Derek asked.

"It's a Stiles problem," Lydia said moving over to the couch and sitting down.

"A Stiles problem?" Derek turned his eyes to Stiles and silently asked the question.

"It's a thing. Apparently some problems are Derek problems and some problems are Stiles problems. I'm not sure if there are criteria but that's just how it works apparently." Stiles shrugged and went into the kitchen. Derek followed him.

"I'm their alpha," Derek growled dejectedly. "All their problems should be Derek problems."

"Derek, do you want to go in there, eat ice cream and hear about what the 'bastard', 'arsehole', 'fucking cocksucker' etcetera has done? Really?"

"No, but…"

"But you are the alpha and you should be who they come to with their problems. They do, but this is just…different."

"Stiles problems, huh?"

"And Derek problems. They are the stuff they don't talk to me about." Derek doubted there was anything his pack didn't tell Stiles, or talk to him about. Sometimes he wondered who was really in charge and he was fairly certain it was not him.

Stiles grinned at Derek, grabbed the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream kept here just for Lydia, and walked into the lounge room. He sat on the couch where Lydia curled into him and opened the ice cream for her. She just sat there for a while sniffing before she started talking. Derek sat at the kitchen table and began doing some research for his next paper while Stiles dealt with his female beta.

Later, when Lydia was curled up in Stiles' bed, Stiles settled next to Derek on the couch and used his elbow to bump him. Derek turned and smiled at him.

"So, everything better?" Derek asked.

"She'll be fine, she just needed someone to give her a hug and listen to her."

"Stiles. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything you do for the people in our pack."

"I don't do that much," Stiles said looking down at his hands in his lap.

"You really do," Derek watched Stiles for a moment and saw how uncomfortable he was. "Want to watch something or are you ready to go to bed?"

"Watch something, anything…something pointless and funny." Stiles said smiling at Derek and letting him pick.

/\/\/\

Stiles opened the door to find a stranger standing on the mat looking at him with very angry eyes.

"Hello?" Stiles asked, assuming the man was simply at the wrong apartment.

"Are you Stiles Stilinski?" The man asked his eyes attempting to bore holes into Stiles.

"Yes. Who-" The man shot Stiles in the face with water from a little water gun he had pulled from his pocket.

"What the hell?" Stiles asked, spitting out the water onto his hand and glaring at the man in front of him who looked confused.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked moments later when he stepped next to Stiles at the door.

"Derek Hale?" The man asked. Stiles reached a hand out to the man but Derek spoke before he managed to do anything.

"Yes, who are-"

The man shot Derek this time and the werewolf dropped to the floor with a grunt as he started hissing in pain. Stiles looked down at Derek before using his foot to push Derek's legs out of the way and slamming the door in the strange man's face.

"Derek?" Stiles said, dropping down onto the ground next to him.

"Water."

"Okay." Stiles grabbed Derek's hands and pulled him though the apartment and into the bathroom. Stiles managed to heft Derek up so he could stumble under the shower and Stiles turned it on letting the water beat down on Derek's face.

"Aconite." Derek gasped out.

"Shit." Stiles said. "Close your eyes and I'll wash it off."

Derek did as he was told and Stiles soaped his face up before washing it off. His skin was bright red and a couple of the spots around his eyes were definitely going to blister.

"Lemon juice." Derek told him after Stiles had washed the aconite from his face for the second time.

Stiles stood and turned the water off pulling Derek up and bracing himself under the werewolf's elbow so they could hobble to the kitchen. Stiles pushed him into a chair. Stiles found a pathetic lemon in the back of the fridge and swiped the juice over the red inflamed skin making Derek's fangs drop and his claws dig into the kitchen table.

"Done." Stiles said. "What can I do about your eyes?"

"Nothing." Derek said. "They will heal but I'm going to be sick for a few days."

"I'll get some salt water." Stiles said moving over and mixing it before coming back to tip Derek's head back and wash his eyes out with the salty water.

"Thank you." Derek said when he opened his eyes. The entire white section was blood shot and red and Stiles could tell he was having trouble seeing out of his left eye which was much worse than the right.

"Are you going to be okay? Can you see?"

"It will heal; it was very diluted luckily. Obviously he didn't want to blind me. Probably just seeing if I actually am a werewolf. You better wash your face; even humans can be poisoned by aconite."

"Of course," Stiles went and washed his face with the extra salt water, washing his eyes out as well before splashing his face with cold water. When he looked up Derek was watching him. "I am going to go and change. Do you want a hand getting to your room?"

"No." Derek said. "I'll be fine…I need a minute anyway."

"Okay." Stiles left the room and peeled the wet top off throwing it straight in the washing machine, best not to run the chance of more aconite getting on anything. Stiles didn't see Derek's damaged eyes trailing his back as he walked away.

/\/\/\

Sheriff Stilinski came for a visit a few months after they moved in together and Derek demanded he stay with them and not at a hotel. Stiles agreed and stayed on the couch for a week.

The day after he left Stiles called him annoyed while Derek eavesdropped.

"Hello?" Derek could hear the sheriff's voice from the lounge room.

"Dad."

"Stiles, what's up?"

"Why was there a plate, steak knife and wine glass in my bed when you left?"

"Just checking." The sheriff responded.

"Checking what, Dad?"

"If anything was happening between you and Derek."

"What!" Stiles shouted into the phone.

"I didn't want you to think you had the hide the truth if you were not just roommates."

"Dad!"

"Yes, Stiles?"

"Why on earth did you hide stuff in my bed?"

"I got the idea from that old joke."

"What joke?" Derek could hear Stiles' exasperation. The sheriff was just watching out for his son though. He was not the first person to have wondered if there was something more between Derek and Stiles but even though all of them managed to sense something about the two of them the fact was there was no possibility of anything more being between them. Derek could not risk Stiles getting hurt like that. Not the he had a chance with the human anyway.

"You know... a woman goes to visit her son and is given his bed to sleep in while he sleeps on the couch and she asks if there is anything going on between him and his incredibly gorgeous roommate and the son says no. She asks him a few times and he always denies it, finally she leaves and a few days later the roommate goes to the son and says she thinks his mother stole her really expensive spoon, or something. The son thinks it must be a mistake and they search and search but cannot find it. Finally the son calls his mum and asks if she knows anything about the spoon and she tells him he would have found it already if he wasn't lying to her about sleeping with the roommate because she had hidden it in his bed."

"Seriously, Dad?"

"Just checking."

"We are just roommates."

"Okay son, I get that but I just want to keep an eye on you. Make sure everything is okay."

"Everything is good. If anything were to change I would tell you but nothing is going to." Stiles said his heartbeat not stuttering. Derek dropped his head back against the couch and ignored the rest of the conversation. Stiles was telling the truth and Derek's grin dropped off his face.

/\/\/\

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAVE FINALLY FINISHED JOSHUA! Excited. Just need to edit it now! YAY!


	12. 12 - Possessiveness Miscommunication and Jealousy

**12 - Possessiveness Miscommunication and Jealousy**

**Part 01 – Meeting Strangers**

"Hey, Derek," Stiles called out as he opened the front door to Derek's house with the rest of the pack behind him. "We have a…" Stiles stopped talking when he saw Derek sitting on one of the couches with a strange woman at his side, another woman and a man sat across from them on the other couch.

"Stiles, everyone, come in; you have to meet John, his girlfriend Monica," Derek pointed to the couple across from him and then to the woman sitting next to him. "And his sister Jasmine."

"Hi," Stiles said and was followed by a chorus from the rest of the pack. Stiles knew they were wolves because Scott grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back just a touch so Stiles was standing behind him.

"John, Monica, Jasmine, this is my pack - Jackson, Lydia, Scott, Stiles, Danny and Allison."

"Humans." Jasmine said looking straight at Stiles.

"Yes, Allison and Stiles are human." Derek said. "The rest of us are wolves."

"You have omegas?" John asked surprised.

"No, I have human members of my pack," Derek said firmly looking directly at Stiles.

"Why?" Monica asked.

"Why what?" Derek turned back to the couple across from him.

"Why do you have human pack members?" Jasmine asked.

Derek stared at her for a few long moments while his pack and his guests waited for him to answer. Derek actually found trying to explain why he had non-wolves in his pack hard, few packs kept humans around. The old packs kept humans around to serve as omegas and the rest rarely kept a human around for long choosing to bite them for security and to strengthen the group. Neither Allison nor Stiles wanted to be werewolves so they would remain human until that changed or they died. There was really only one explanation that would make sense to his old friends; and it wasn't telling them that Stiles was the first real member of his pack; that he saved his life, that he helped bring down his uncle, that without meaning to the human aligned himself with Derek before Derek was even really the alpha. Allison was much more difficult to explain, she was a hunter's daughter who had stood by Scott through everything - standing between her father and the pack and over the few years since she had found out the truth she had proven herself to be a trustworthy member of the pack. John and Jasmine had grown up as werewolves like he and Laura had, their father slightly more traditional than Derek's who refused to bite children who showed no sign of lycanthropy until they were old enough to decide for themselves. They would not understand any of his reasons, least of all the fact that Stiles was...so many different things. "I grew up in a pack with human members." Derek answered simply.

"Yeah, but they were family." Jasmine said. "And surely when they were old enough they would have chosen the bite. Your humans are old enough, why don't you just bite them?"

"Because they don't want to be werewolves." Derek said looking at Stiles briefly, seeing the grip Scott had on his arm, the way the human was standing just behind the wolf, the way the rest of his pack were standing guard around their human members. Derek smiled at them all; they were a good family, protective and loving.

Jasmine turned her eyes to follow Derek's; she looked first at Allison then to Stiles who caught her eye. The way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable, she was not glaring or scowling but he could tell she was not happy and he was the reason.

"You don't want to be a werewolf?" Jasmine asked her eyes not leaving Stiles'.

Stiles looked to Derek for a moment and then back, "No." He said simply not at all worried about his heartbeat this time. He might have been lying when he had told Peter he didn't want the bite but now, knowing he was pack, knowing he was always going to be here with his second family the small part of him that wanted to be a werewolf had changed its mind. There was nothing that being a werewolf would ultimately give him that he did not already have. There was no need for him to change.

"Why not?" Scott's grip on his arm changed slightly at the tone Jasmine used but Derek's expression did not even flicker.

"There is no need for me to be a werewolf. I am part of the pack and I'm happy with how things are. Why change?"

"You could get hurt. Or bitten accidently." Jasmine pushed.

"I have faith in every member of the pack not to hurt me, and if I was bitten then I would become a werewolf and that would be fine as well."

Jasmine opened her mouth to ask more questions but her brother beat her to it. "Jas, leave it be."

"So nice to meet you all." Stiles said, the rest of the pack murmuring their agreement.

"Come in," Derek said, ushering his pack into the room with the three wolves. Jackson, Lydia and Danny sat in the chairs closest to John and Monica. Scott put himself between Jasmine and Allison and Stiles took the final seat which was really just a footstool but put Derek between him and Jasmine.

"How do you all know Derek?" Stiles asked.

"When he and Laura moved to New York, John and I met them," Jasmine started. "We ran together a few times. John is my alpha and he and Laura dated for a while."

Monica looked down and Stiles wondered briefly if Jasmine had said that deliberately.

Derek looked at Stiles and continued. "Laura and Jasmine were friendly for a long time; we stayed with them for a while in the country before I left after school. Laura stayed with them until she joined me. Then she came here and I lost touch with everyone."

"It was just terrible," Jasmine said putting her hand on Derek's forearm. "We tried to get in touch with him but we just could not find him. And since we're travelling through California we thought we should just stop by and check. Quite lucky too, since apparently you have gone back to school. Laura would be so pleased."

"Yes, I think she would." Derek said.

"Laura was amazing; did any of you get to meet her?" Jasmine asked.

"No," Lydia said. "She passed away before we got involved in the whole werewolf thing."

"Yes, how did you all get involved?"

No one said anything for a moment; strangely they were all looking at Stiles then Derek. Jasmine noticed – her eyes narrowed as she watched them.

"I was bitten first," Scott said.

"Then me." Lydia said.

"Then me." Jackson added.

"And I was last." Danny put in.

"Derek," Jasmine dropped a hand onto Derek's knee as he turned to her. "How is your uncle? Doing any better?"

"Anyone want a drink?" Stiles asked, jumping up. "Lydia, tea, Derek?"

The pack jumped on the distraction and Derek pulled his knee from under Jasmine's hand as he offered to help.

"No, no." Stiles said already leaving the room. "I have it, need to wait for the kettle anyway."

"Are you sure he's not your omega?" Jasmine said with a laugh as he left the room.

"Wait up, Stiles, I'll come." Lydia said standing and walking over to follow Stiles as Derek turned to Jasmine.

"No, he is definitely not my omega. I do not believe in having omegas."

"Of course," Jasmine said. "So you've gone back to university. Berkeley?"

"Yeah, Stiles and I both go there. The whole pack is in university at the moment."

"You and Stiles?" Jasmine asked moving back so she could stare at Derek.

"We're living together." Derek said.

"You are having sex with your omega?"

"He is not my omega!" Derek ground out.

"Sorry, of course, it's hard to get used to the idea of a human pack member." Jasmine sat back further and watched Derek while Derek's pack watched her. "So you and Stiles are involved?"

"No, we're friends." Derek said definitely not lying.

Stiles and Lydia walked back into the room and handed out the drinks, Allison grabbed Lydia's wrist when she was handed her drink. Allison looked at Jasmine and crossed her eyes. Lydia raised her eyebrows and then frowned. Stiles saw the whole thing and had no idea what the hell was going on.

"So, what are we talking about?" Stiles asked.

"The fact you and Derek aren't having sex." Jasmine said.

"Jasmine!" John reprimanded.

"Of course Derek and I aren't have sex, we are just friends."

Jasmine stared at him for a moment and then grinned.

"So, we were thinking," John said trying to change the subject. "The full moon is coming up, only a couple of days. Would you mind us sticking around? Safe place to run."

"Of course." Derek said grinning. "It'll give us a chance to catch up."

"Yes, it will." Jasmine was talking to Derek but staring at Stiles and it was starting to make him uncomfortable. "Is this your whole pack, Derek?"

"Yes, we are small but close."

"Family." Allison said quickly.

"Of course," Jasmine put her hand back on Derek's knee. "How could they not be great? You were always so powerful and in control. I know Laura was always so proud of you."

Derek flushed just a little. "Laura always had more control than I did."

"She was older," Jasmine said. "So are you dating someone in the pack?"

"No, it's a bad idea to date in a pack."

"That's right; we decided that after you and me…" Jasmine let the sentence hang but she pulled her hand back off of Derek.

Jasmine watched as Derek's eyes flicked towards Stiles but he stopped himself before making it all the way to the younger man's face and her eyes narrowed just slightly.

"Thanks for letting us stay." Monica said.

"It's fine, I have plenty of space. There are two spare rooms down here. All the ones upstairs have been claimed." Derek said with a smile.

"Claimed?" Monica prompted.

"By us." Lydia said. "We each have a room here for when we need to stay."

"Derek encouraged us to pick rooms, which seemed fair since he made us rebuild most of his house." Scott said.

"You rebuilt it yourself?" John asked.

"Only some of it." Derek said. "But yes for the most part the pack and I rebuilt it."

"Except for Lydia," Jackson said. "She just supervised."

"I don't do manual labour." Lydia said looking down her nose at Jackson with a smirk firmly hidden.

"You don't do a lot." Jackson said with a grin. Lydia poked her tongue out at him.

"I'm starving," Jasmine said. "What are we going to do for dinner?"

"That reminds me I have to go, my Dad is expecting me for dinner." Stiles said standing and walking from the room and towards the door. He did not want to cook for Jasmine who was already looking at him with something that Stiles would call dislike. At the very least she'd been staring at him while the pack was chatting and there was something strange about the way she had looked at him. She already thought he was the omega and she kept touching Derek. He didn't want to have to be here for any more and she'd given him the perfect way out.

"What?" Derek and Scott said together.

"I forgot. Sorry. Can someone else cook?" Stiles looked at Allison and Lydia the two most likely to not kill everyone. Maybe Jackson would put his hand up though; which would be excellent.

"You do all the cooking, Stiles?" Jasmine said with a grin Stiles did not like.

"He is the best cook." Danny said with a glare.

"Of course," Jasmine said leaning back.

"Gotta go, bye." Stiles said as he rushed from the house and into the jeep.

He drove home, let himself into the empty house and went upstairs to close and lock all the windows and doors. He returned to the living room, flopped onto the couch and stared at the dark ceiling. Derek had been involved with Kate it made sense he had been involved with other women as well. It made sense that he was straight. He made a habit of falling in love with unattainable people - Lydia and Derek. Neither of them saw him as anything, even though Lydia was his friend now she did not see him as anything more, he may as well have been a eunuch as far as she was concerned. And Derek was straight, the alpha, and so far out of Stiles' league it was pathetic. Stiles needed to get over this.

"I don't think I'll ever get over him." He whispered into the dark as he closed his eyes and contemplated what was happening at Derek's house.

**Part 02 – Dinner And Reprimands**

At Derek's house Scott, Allison, Jackson, Danny and Lydia had all gone to the kitchen after Stiles left to make some dinner. It had the added bonus of avoiding the three wolves that sitting and chatting with Derek. They were talking about Laura, the time the four of them had spent together, and the past. Jasmine keeping the conversation on her and Derek's shared past whenever anything more recent came up. Lydia and Allison had been the first to retreat from the lounge room after a couple of suggestive eyebrow moves that Danny had watched with confusion and interest. Danny gave them a minute before excusing himself.

"What are you two chatting about?" Danny asked, when he came into the kitchen.

"Allison was telling me what Jasmine was saying when Stiles and I were making the drinks. She wants Derek." Lydia explained, keeping her voice pitched below the sizzle of the frypan.

"She wants Derek but more importantly she does not like Stiles because she can see what the rest of us do." Allison added.

"That Derek is arse backwards in love with Stiles." Danny said, with the same exasperation they all used when they spoke of the love that made them all want to beat their heads against the wall.

"She thinks she can get between them." Lydia said.

"She's delusional." Jackson said from the doorway where he and Scott were standing. "What are we making for dinner?"

"We don't need five people to make one dinner." Allison pointed out.

"If I stay in there I am going to stab Jasmine with that stupid silver dagger Stiles bought Derek for Christmas and then proceeded to laugh about for an hour." Scott said moving over and finding a peeler to start on the vegetables.

"I can't go back in there." Allison said. "She doesn't like humans."

"No," Scott said. "You can stay with me." Scott threw an arm around Allison and pulled her close. "I don't like how she keeps talking about Stiles being an omega and with him gone I do not want her to start on you."

Allison turned and kissed Scott.

"Jackson and I will go back and try not to stab anyone." Danny said. "Unless you would like our help."

"Jackson being anywhere but the kitchen is a help." Lydia said with a vicious smile.

"That was one time." Jackson complained before turning and following Danny back into the lounge room.

/\/\/\

"We had so much fun that full moon, we ran all night in that gorgeous forest. And of course, what happened at dawn…" Jasmine said when Danny and Jackson came back into the room. She trailed off but laid a hand on Derek's knee as she said it.

Danny rolled his eyes as he walked behind her to sit down again. She could not be more obvious unless she stripped naked and climbed into Derek's lap.

"Yes, well…" Derek said the tips of his ears a little coloured as he looked at Jackson and Danny sitting down. "John, where are you travelling that brought you to Beacon Hills?"

"We're on our way to LA, Monica's aunt lives there so we are going to visit and it took us close by and Jasmine insisted we see if you were back here." John said.

"Is your aunt a werewolf?" Derek asked.

"No, I was bitten by John about a year ago after we got engaged." Monica said with a smile.

"Then I came back to town. I'd been travelling." Jasmine interrupted.

"Yes," Monica said. "Jasmine and I hadn't met before that."

"It's a bit of a change, isn't it?" Danny said smiling at Monica.

"Yes, but I am pleased I asked for the bite." Monica told them, squeezing John's hand next to her.

"Me too." Jackson said.

"You asked for the bite?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes." Jackson said.

"So no one in your pack now is a born werewolf?" Jasmine asked turning to Derek.

"No, only me. Everyone else was bitten." Derek said.

"What a pity, born werewolves are so much stronger."

"I don't know about that." Derek said. "My pack is strong."

"Oh I'm sure. But they would be so much stronger if you had some born wolves running around showing them what to do."

"Derek is very good at training us." Danny said.

"Stiles too, he comes up with the best training ideas." Derek added.

"Stiles helps you train the werewolves?" Jasmine said the smile falling off her face. "He's human."

"He's very good at creating different types of training scenarios." Derek said with a small grin and a shrug.

Lydia, Scott and Allison appeared in the doorway and announced that dinner was ready.

"And I bet he's an excellent rabbit." Jasmine mumbled as she walked out of the room. Derek had just said something to John but Lydia and Scott heard her plainly.

John, Derek and Monica stood and followed Jasmine into Derek's dining room with the huge table Lydia had demanded he buy so that the whole pack could fit.

"I'm going to kill her." Lydia said so quietly the pack could just hear it as they trailed behind Derek.

"What are we eating?" Jasmine asked when we were all sitting down.

"Pasta and salad." Lydia said grabbing the salad and putting some on her plate.

"There is no meat in this." Jasmine complained.

"No." Allison said.

"You don't eat meat?" John asked.

"Of course we do." Derek said with a smile. "Just not all the time."

"But you're werewolves." John said.

"Really?" Danny said sarcastically.

"Danny." Derek reprimanded. "We eat normally, John, sometimes there's meat but not always."

"And never raw." Lydia said emphatically.

"What? And you call yourself a werewolf. Next you are going to tell me you don't hunt game on the full moon." Jasmine said looking down her nose at Lydia.

Jackson's hand was firm on Lydia's forearm. "We run on the full moon." Jackson said.

"Do you hunt though?" Jasmine asked again taking a few tentative bites of her food.

Monica smiled at Allison as she ate. "This is lovely, thank you."

"You're welcome." Allison said one eye on Jasmine who looked like she wanted to spit her food out before looking at Derek who was talking to John and not seeing anything.

"Do you hunt?" Jasmine said loud enough for Derek to turn around.

"Hunt what?" Derek asked.

"On the full moon?" Jasmine's entire face changed when she spoke to Derek.

"We have hunted but mostly we just run. Sometimes we will play games and hunt each other." Derek explained.

"But you don't try to bring down game?" John asked.

"We have a couple of times but Lydia has an aversion to raw meat."

"It's disgusting." Lydia threw in.

"You are a werewolf, have some self-respect."

Jackson in one of his few strokes of genius chose that moment to speak. "John, you're an alpha how big is your pack?"

John took the subject change and ran with it, one eye on his sister. "At the moment just the three of us."

"Where do you live?" Danny said.

"New York, we travel on the full moon to run and hunt." Jasmine said.

"That must be exciting." Allison said.

"Oh yes. There is no better place to live. I don't know why anyone lives anywhere else." Jasmine said with a small grin.

Lydia ate the food in front of her.

"I lived there for a while." Allison said. "But I like it here better."

Scott grinned at her.

"Really? Why?"

"I have better friends here than I have had in any other place I've lived." Allison said.

"I see." Allison was impressed that she had managed to make those two words sound both sincere and condescending; maybe she was just projecting the condescension.

"So you are all at university?" Monica asked.

"Yes, I'm studying at Caltech." Lydia said trusting herself to talk to Monica.

"Caltech?" Monica asked.

"Mathematics genius." Danny and Jackson said together.

Scott and Derek laughed.

"What?" John asked confused.

"Whenever anyone asks about Lydia going to Caltech Stiles proudly talks about her being a mathematical genius." Derek explained with a smile.

"He's very sweet." Lydia said with a smile.

"I'm sure." Jasmine said.

Lydia took a bite of her pasta and chewed it viciously.

"Danny, Scott, and I go to University of Southern California together." Jackson volunteered one eye on Lydia's bitch face. He knew that face well; it was the one she wore just before she tore a strip off someone's hide.

"I transferred in this year." Scott said.

"From?" Monica asked.

"California State University." Scott explained not embarrassed. He was proud of the work he'd done last year to get into USC.

"A state college." Jasmine said.

Allison took a large bite out of her carrot.

"Yeah, I did poorly on my SATs." Scott said with a tight smile. The look on Jasmine's face was enough to tell even him how she felt about his tertiary education.

"But, so well last year." Allison smiled at him just before turning a glare on Jasmine.

"And of course Stiles and I are at Berkeley." Derek said frowning at Allison.

"Of course." Jasmine said looking down at her food to hide the frown Danny could see on the side of her face.

"And I go to UCSF." Allison threw in trying to keep the tone light.

"San Francisco?" Monica asked.

"Yeah, I am really enjoying it there."

"I used to go and visit my uncle who lived there. The trams are great."

"Only way to travel." Allison said with a smile.

"Your pack is so spread out, Derek. Is that a good idea?" John asked.

"I think so; it isn't fair of me to stop them from going off and getting a good education." Derek said.

"But shouldn't you have all gone somewhere together." Monica asked.

"No, I couldn't have handled Caltech." Scott said with a grin.

"We could have gone to MIT." Lydia said poking her tongue out at Scott.

"You got into MIT as well." Jasmine asked, surprised.

"Yes." Lydia responded.

"Hmm." Jasmine said looking at the piece of capsicum impaled on her fork. Lydia pushed her salad around finding a carrot and chomped on the hard vegetable.

"It is a bad idea for packs to be so spread out." Jasmine said looking at Derek. "It will weaken you."

"We are all in the same state and only Lydia and Allison are alone." Danny defended.

"And I'm human." Allison said cheerfully.

"Yes, you are." Jasmine said with a condescending glint in her eye.

"We get together often." Derek said. "Like this week, we are all here for the full moon."

"But if something were to happen to one of you." Monica said.

"We drop everything and go." Lydia said. "What else would we do?"

"So you've had to do it?" John said.

"Yes." Scott said as Derek's head dropped down to stare at the last of the food on his plate. "Stiles got hurt last year."

"Stiles? He's not even a part of the pack." Jasmine said with a frown.

"Yes, he is." Lydia said vehemently glaring openly at Jasmine.

"Lydia!" Derek said. "Jasmine, Stiles is just as much a part of the pack as any of the werewolves."

"No, he can't be; he's not a werewolf." Jasmine said with a 'you're-stupid' tone in her voice.

"So?" Jackson asked.

"Humans are not really members of a wolf pack." Jasmine said glaring at Jackson while Derek was staring at Jackson as well.

"They are a part of our wolf pack." Scott said firmly.

Derek was looking at all of his pack with a frown his face turning slightly thunderous. "Jasmine. Stiles is a member of my pack, human or not."

"Of course. Sorry." Jasmine said looking awfully apologetic. "I have just never seen it before." Derek returned Jasmine's smile.

Monica yawned behind her hand and then looked up apologetically. "Sorry, Derek do you mind if I go to bed, we started early this morning."

"Of course not." Derek said. "The pack can clean up while I show you all to a room."

Jasmine curled her arm around Derek's elbow when she stood and walked with him further into the house.

The pack cleaned the table, did the dishes and grabbed their stuff waiting at the doorway for Derek to come back so they could finally get out of the house.

"We need to talk." Derek said with a glare as he opened his front door.

Derek walked his pack out of the house and walked into the woods the pack trailing behind him looking down at the ground as they walked.

Derek finally turned around and glared at his pack. "I cannot believe how rude you all were to Jasmine, John, and Monica."

"Derek-" Danny started.

"No." Derek said. "I know they don't act like we do. They are more traditional than we are. Please just respect them. And stop being so rude. They are not doing anything wrong they just don't do things the same way we do."

"Derek-" Lydia started.

"No." Derek interrupted. "You had no right to be so rude to my guests. You need to be polite to them, don't bait them. There was no reason for your behaviour tonight. I am disappointed in all of you."

"Sorry." The pack all said though none of them looked apologetic.

Derek nodded. "Thanks, I'll see you all tomorrow. Bring your manners!" Derek said before he turned and went back into the house leaving his pack to go home.

"Can you believe that?" Lydia fumed.

"Yes," Danny said. "They are old friends who knew Laura and Jasmine was nice to Derek and rude to us."

"I am not spending tomorrow with that woman." Lydia said firmly.

"No." Allison said. "None of us are. We'll do something else instead."

The pack made their plans and drove away leaving Derek with his harpy of an old friend.

**Part 03 – Pack Commiserations**

Stiles came downstairs the next morning to find Scott and Allison in his kitchen, Lydia, Danny and Jackson in his living room, and enough junk food on the coffee table to send a group of werewolves into sugar shock. He was still in his sleep pants, old lacrosse gear that was so soft and comfortable from years of wear that they hung low on his hips with half the school's name worn off. Lydia wolf-whistled him, making him chuckle if only because she was a werewolf.

"What's going on?" Stiles asked, dropping down next to Danny on the couch.

"Well, Jasmine is a bitch and a snobbish cow so we are not going to Derek's today and since we assumed you weren't going back today either, 'cause we aren't training until tomorrow, and there is no real reason to go, we came over here instead." Lydia said, throwing her legs over Danny's knees; her feet resting in Stiles' lap.

"She was all over Derek last night. It was pathetic." Allison said from the doorway.

"And he doesn't see it. Then he told us off for being mean to her! He defended her." Jackson complained from the other side of Lydia.

"Well," Stiles said standing up. "If we are going to hang out I'm just going to have a quick shower. You guys just continue to make yourselves at home." As Stiles moved from the room everyone's eyes following him.

When they heard the shower above them start Lydia stood up and faced her pack. "Not one of you will mention Jasmine or Derek again today. Do you understand?"

"You mentioned them first." Jackson pouted still rubbing the back of his neck where she had hit him.

"Yes, but his eyes turned all sad." Lydia said. "And Derek is still deliberately oblivious, therefore, we will need to make sure Stiles is okay until Jasmine is gone or Derek is able to see past the fact she is an old friend who knew Laura."

"Lydia, you are just a big old softie, aren't you." Danny said with a smile, it turned to a pained grimace when Lydia pinched his neck causing an undignified squeak. "No, you're right, you are a complete bitch."

"Thank you, darling." Lydia said with a smile.

Moments later the water above shut off and Lydia turned her eyes to the pack. "We know Derek loves Stiles, Stiles is still ignorant. Derek cannot see that Jasmine dislikes Stiles and made him feel uncomfortable last night. So, today we are going to spend the day with Stiles and not talk about any of it and tomorrow we will go to training and Stiles will be fine."

"I thought they'd crack when they started to live together." Allison said with a sigh.

"I am going to knock their heads together soon." Lydia agreed just before they heard Stiles coming down the stairs.

"How'd you guys get into the house?" Stiles asked when he came back into the room slightly damp but fully clothed.

"Stiles, I have had a key to your house since I was thirteen." Scott said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but Dad was here this morning."

"He let me in." Lydia said. "I was early. We weren't going to get here until after he left."

"And he didn't wake me up when he let you in?" Stiles threw himself back onto the couch next to Danny.

"He said you had gone to sleep late and Scott walked in just behind me so he let us come in." Lydia shrugged.

"So, what is the plan for today?" Stiles asked, grabbing some Cheezels and throwing them into the air to catch them.

"Movies, junk food, Chinese, you know, fun." Jackson said.

"Do you want to have breakfast before you start eating junk food?" Allison asked. She was met with confused looks from all of the boys in the room. Even Danny was looking at her like she was silly.

"You don't fill up on toast when there is junk food to be eaten." Stiles said reaching for the liquorice and facing the television. "What are we watching?"

"What is your favourite movie marathon?" Scott asked.

"Star Wars." Stiles said easily.

"That is what we are watching." Danny said grinning.

Lydia groaned and then looked at Allison. "At least we get to perve on Hayden Christensen after the first one."

Allison, Danny and Stiles looked at her like she was insane.

"You start with the proper ones." Allison explained.

"Proper ones?" Lydia asked looking to Jackson who shrugged.

"The original trilogy. Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke and Leia, ewoks, and Darth Vadar!" Stiles explained; Allison, Danny and Scott all nodded in agreement.

"I don't think I've seen them." Lydia said.

"Oh my God, what a travesty. Well we have to rectify that. Scott put Star Wars in." Stiles said pointing to the television.

"Have you seen them?" Lydia asked Jackson.

"No, I was too busy having a life." Danny and Scott punched Jackson for his comment and then everyone sat down as yellow words flew across the screen, four of the watchers excited; the others just a little scared of their friends.

As the movie started, the pack crowded onto the one couch, much too small for all of them until Lydia was basically sitting in Stiles' lap and Jackson was sitting on the arm rest keeping his balance by leaning on Danny's shoulder.

/\\-/\

"Hey, that's Harrison Ford." Lydia said surprised.

"No, that's Han Solo!" Scott corrected.

/\\-/\

"Where are the subtitles telling us what the giant teddy bear is saying?" Jackson asked.

Danny slapped Jackson on the back of the head. "He is a wookie, dickhead, and there are no subtitles. It's subtext!"

"What?" Jackson said. "What's a wookie?"

"Shut up." Allison said.

/\\-/\

"Holy shit, are they going to get squashed? What about the mind thingy." Lydia said.

"The Force!" Scott corrected.

/\\-/\

"He's just going to leave them. Stupid man!" Lydia said throwing some popcorn at the screen.

"How stupid is it that you can shoot at the only vulnerable part. Shouldn't they protect that bit?" Jackson asked.

"Shut up," Allison said.

/\\-/\

"Oh, he is a good guy." Lydia said.

"He's Han Solo." Stiles said with a grin.

/\\-/\

"What the fuck is that woman doing with her hair." Lydia complained.

"Don't knock the bun ears." Stiles said.

"Seriously Stiles?"

"Don't judge me." Stiles said putting his chin in the air.

/\\-/\

"Okay, so I don't think it was as bad as all that." Jackson said grudgingly.

"I liked it. Now I need real food, I think I have sugar and fake cheese seeping out of my pores." Lydia said.

"I'll make some sandwiches." Stiles said attempting to get out from under the mass of bodies on his couch.

"No." Danny said. "I am making them. Well, we are making them. You aren't doing anything today."

"Why?" Stiles frowned.

"Because you always feed us, today we feed you."

"Not Jackson." Stiles and Lydia said together.

"That was one time." Jackson complained but nodded in agreement anyway.

Danny, Allison, Lydia, and Scott made sandwiches for everyone while Jackson and Stiles sat at the table and watched them. When the food was made they put the next movie in and all squeezed themselves back onto the couch and started eating as the yellow writing started scrolling across the screen. Scott and Stiles putting on deep and rumbling voices to read it as one.

/ */ * /

"Oh my God." Jackson moaned. "That is disgusting!"

"He has to survive somehow." Scott said.

"He's in the stomach of an animal. That is disgusting!"

"Yeah, you're right. Much better to freeze to death." Stiles said in a bored voice.

/\\-/\

"Luke and Leia"

"No, Han and Leia."

"Luke and Leia."

"Han and Leia."

"Shut up." Allison said.

/\\-/\

" **That** is Yoda?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, shut up." Danny demanded.

/\\-/\

"That is not an asteroid." Lydia said.

"Space bats!" Jackson said with glee.

/\\-/\

"How can he be Darth Vader?"

"He's not Darth Vader, Jackson. It's a vision." Lydia said throwing some cheezels at Jackson across Stiles who leaned forward to capture one between his teeth.

/\\-/\

"See, if he wasn't meant to be with Leia, Luke would not be able to sense her like that." Jackson said proud of his logic.

/\\-/\

"What happened to C-3P0?" Jackson asked.

"I don't like him, he's annoying." Lydia said with a dismissive wave.

"He's meant to be annoying." Danny explained.

/\\-/\

"I know! I know! She says she's in love with him and the best he can do is _I know_!" Lydia ranted.

"It's sweet." Allison said. "Well, it's not, but somehow it is…just go with it. He's Han."

/\\-/\

"Holy crap, his hand!"

/\\-/\

"What the fuck?" Jackson asked looking at Danny in confusion.

"Oh that's where it comes from, I never knew…he's Luke's father. Why is he trying to kill him?" Lydia said turning to see Stiles' face.

"You don't jump off a ledge, you twit." Jackson yelled at the television.

/\\-/\

As the second movie ended Lydia turned to Stiles. "Next one, please."

"I have converted you to the dark side." He said with glee tickling Lydia. Danny attacked Stiles' left side to save Lydia at the same time Scott went for his right. Stiles and Lydia ended up on the floor their flailing limbs dragging Danny and Jackson down with them until everyone was piled on the floor attacking any vulnerable spot until Danny let out an undignified squeal followed swiftly by Allison as Scott's glass of ice water rained down on them. The pack scrambled up in a mess of limbs before collapsing back on the couch to catch their breaths.

Allison jumped up to put the last DVD in and everyone curled back onto the couch to watch.

/\\-/\

"What is she wearing?" Jackson asked in awe.

"The best costume in the history of cinema." Stiles said with a grin.

/\\-/\

"Yoda can't die." Lydia said.

/\\-/\

"They are brother and sister?" Jackson said loudly.

"Yep." Stiles said.

"Huh."

/\\-/\

"Oh, they are so cute." Lydia said.

"Ewoks." Allison said. "I used to have a stuffed one on my bed."

"Jealous."

/\\-/\

"No! They cannot kill the ewoks." Jackson said with a pout.

/\\-/\

"Holy shit, that guy shoots electricity out of his fingers. Seriously!" Jackson said with high eyebrows.

"He is one with the dark side." Allison explained.

/\\-/\

"Go, Darth Vader. Dude is badass."

/\\-/\

"Finally. Three movies and they finally get together. I hate stupid people who cannot see they are in love with each other." Lydia said with a sigh.

"Yeah, they do make you want to kick them both." Stiles said not seeing the exasperated looks on the rest of the faces in the room as they stared at him.

/\\-/\

"Okay that was pretty good." Lydia said.

"I know right." Stiles said curling his arms around Lydia and hugging her.

"I liked it too." Jackson said.

"I tried to get you to watch those movies for years. Years. See you should always listen to me." Danny complained.

Jackson looked the other way. "Sorry, dude."

Danny clipped Jackson around the back of the head with a chuckle.

/\\-/\

The group ordered Chinese and sat around the table playing monopoly and eating. Danny won with glee.

/\\-/\

"Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?" Danny asked, as they were packing the last of the junk food away later that night. The rest of the pack washing the dishes so the sheriff didn't yell at Stiles.

"I'm not going." Stiles said shoving a couple of mint leaves in his mouth that wouldn't fit in the container. Everyone in the room froze and stared at him. "What?"

"You're not coming?" Scott said.

"To training?" Danny asked.

"Werewolf training, where there will be born werewolves you can study." Jackson asked.

"Stiles." Allison said moving forward. "Why aren't you going to go?"

"Are you going Allison?"

"No, I'm going to lunch with my mother." Allison said with a pinched expression. "I would prefer to be going to the training."

"I am spending tomorrow with my father." Stiles said.

"Your dad's on day shifts." Lydia pointed out.

Stiles sighed and dropped on the chair next to him. "No. I am spending the day with dad."

"Stiles." Scott said coming to sit next to him.

"It's that bitch isn't it?" Lydia said.

"No." Stiles shook his head. "I just…oh crap, you all know, don't you." Stiles looked up horrified; finally working out what today had been. Them all trying to make him feel better because Derek and Jasmine…he wanted to throw himself off his roof. "You're all giving me the same look and I only told two of you."

"Umm." Jackson said. "We all kinda worked it out."

"Is it obvious?" Stiles asked. "I mean if Jackson was able to work it out."

Lydia laughed and went to sit on Stiles' lap. "Stiles, Derek has no idea. We know because we know you. You're jealous."

"Yes." Stiles said dropping his chin onto Lydia's shoulder. "But it's not just that. I don't particularly like the way she was looking at me; like I was gum on the bottom of her shoe."

"She's a cow. I am going to talk to Derek." Lydia said firmly.

"No!" Stiles stood up shoving Lydia from his lap.

"What?" Danny asked.

"None of you can say a thing to Derek."

"What? Why?" Danny asked again trying to understand.

"Don't say anything to Derek. I might be jealous but that doesn't matter. There is no one else we have met who knew Laura. He deserves to have friends who knew her. People that he can talk to about her. So you cannot say anything about her disliking me."

"Stiles." Allison started. "He could at the very least talk to her about being nice. She was a bitch last night."

"What did he say about it?" Stiles asked curiously.

"That they come from a more traditional pack and that we need to just give them some leeway." Danny said with an unpleasant face.

"Then, I will stay away from training since it is supposed to only be werewolves and I'll come for the pack meeting." Stiles said with a small smile.

"Stiles, we should tell Derek. He'd be annoyed that she is being mean to you." Scott said gently, knowing that his best friend would not believe him if he was honest and said that Derek was as in love with Stiles as Stiles was with Derek. That if Derek knew that Jasmine was actually being mean to Stiles or saying things about him being hunted as a rabbit by the pack that Derek was likely to rip Jasmine apart with his bare hands.

"But she's not." Stiles reminded them. "She couldn't understand why I was there because she comes from a family where there were no humans. All the non-werewolves were turned. That is what she knows, so she'll get over it or she'll leave and things will be fine. We are going to do what Derek wants; we are going to be nice to them for the week they are here. None of you are going to say anything about her not liking me to Derek and none of you will tell him I don't like her because I'm just being petty and jealous. Please, just do this for me."

"I don't think this is a good idea." Danny said, Allison and Lydia nodding with him.

"But it is the right thing to do. All of you need to swear to me that you won't say a thing to Derek about Jasmine and that you will be at least civil to them if you cannot be nice to them." Stiles looked at each person in the room as he spoke.

"Okay." Jackson said. "I promise."

"I do too." Danny added.

"Alright, I won't say anything." Allison said.

Stiles waited for Lydia and Scott but neither of them looked like they were about to say anything. "Scott, for me."

"Stiles, this is a bad idea."

"I only have good ideas." Stiles said with a grin.

"No, you don't, but like everything else I suppose I will follow you into this lunacy as well. I promise."

"Thank you."

"Don't even bother." Lydia said crossing her arms and sitting down on Stiles' chair.

"Lydia."

"No!"

"Lydia." Stiles said dropping down to his knees in front of Lydia and crossing his arms on her knees.

"No!"

"Lydia." Stiles poked his bottom lip out just a little and dropped his chin onto his folded arms looking up at Lydia through his eyelashes.

"No!"

"Lydia." Stiles said again letting his voice plead just a little.

"No!"

"Lydia." Stiles pleaded a little more. "I'll only see her at the pack meeting."

"You're not coming on the full moon?" Jackson said earning a glare from Stiles before he turned back to Lydia pout out in full force.

"Just once, so it's not a big thing. I just don't want anyone to make this visit bad for Derek; he has no family."

"He has us." Danny said.

"Yes." Stiles said. "But someone who can talk to him about Laura. That is important. Trust me. If I had someone who could talk to me about mum without looking like they'd been punched…you don't know how important it is. We need to do this for Derek."

"I hate you." Lydia said leaning down to give Stiles a hug. "I promise." She said glaring at him.

"Love you too, Lydia." Stiles grinned.

"We are going to have to go, you know Derek is going to slaughter us tomorrow since he'll be showing off and we haven't trained together in a while." Danny said with a sigh.

"Yes, all of you get out of my house." Stiles said standing up and ushering the pack from his house. "Oh, and try to hide them until we can tell him together."

"Okay." Scott and Jackson agreed.

They all said their goodbyes and left Stiles' house, leaving him to putter around the house waiting for his dad to get home.

**Part 04 – Training**

Stiles' alarm went off at 7am with the word 'training' flashing at him, he looked at his mobile phone for a moment then turned off his alarm and went back to be. He wasn't needed for training and another day to fortify himself before he had to watch Derek and Jasmine flirt would hopefully give him enough time to not let Derek notice anything. He'd already told the pack he wasn't coming, they would tell Derek who wouldn't mind too much since he had new people to keep him occupied.

Derek watched the door; everyone trailed in but…no Stiles. He hadn't been around the day before and he was late. Well, not late, but Stiles was always the first member of the pack to get to Derek's house. Derek snagged Scott's arm and pulled him into another room away from the rest of the pack.

"Where is Stiles?" Derek asked when the door was closed behind them.

"At home, he's spending that day with his dad." Scott said focussing very hard on Stiles telling him that the night before.

"Oh." Derek said. "That's good. He doesn't get to see his dad enough anymore."

"I know." Scott said.

Derek waved him out the door and when Scott pulled it open Jasmine was standing on the other side trying very hard to look like she had not been eavesdropping.

"Jasmine, we're meeting in the lounge room." Derek said striding past them both and leading the way into the room.

When everyone was in the room Jasmine stood up in front of everybody.

"Everyone." Jasmine said. "I want to apologise for my behaviour when we met. Derek talked to me about how your pack is and John told me that I needed to remember that none of you come from a family of wolves so you are all ignorant of the ways that we were raised and I need to remember that this is Derek's pack." She sent Derek a simpering smile. "And if you do things differently to how we do then I will respect that. I do hope we can all get along for the remainder of the time I am here."

Jasmine turned a sugary sweet smile on the pack. None of them said anything but one-by-one they looked at Derek and remembered their promise to Stiles so with inner grimaces they smiled at Jasmine and accepted her apology.

"Right." Derek said after Jasmine had sat down. "John, Monica, and Jasmine are going to train with us today."

"Great." Danny said pragmatically. "What are we doing today?"

"Sparring." Derek said.

"The round robin one Stiles set up?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Derek nodded.

"I shall remain supreme ruler of the universe." Jackson said flexing his arms until Lydia slapped him upside the head with a grin.

"What?" Monica asked with a smile.

"Stiles set up a running champion board when we were all living here in town." Lydia said keeping an eye on Jasmine as she spoke. "It included all of the games and challenges we did."

"And you beat Derek?" Jasmine said turning to Jackson.

"God no." Jackson said with an easy grin. "But he's the alpha and doesn't count; I generally lose this one spectacularly to Derek after I beat everyone else."

Jasmine smiled at him though it didn't reach her eyes. "We'll have to see if John and I can give you a run for your money."

"Oh, we don't bet, but the winner does get the biggest bit of whatever Allison baked last." Scott said with a dopey grin just thinking about the apple pie she'd given him this morning before he'd left for training and she'd gone home to meet her mother.

"Okay!" Derek said with an evil grin. "Warm up, then we are doing the run to the lake."

Derek's betas groaned but stood and went outside to warm up and start the hideously long run to the lake. This was the worst warm up Derek ever made them do. The only thing making it better was that Stiles normally did the run with them and at the large rock half way there he'd throw himself onto it and start moaning about dying. Derek would glare and the two of them would fight and finally Derek would growl and tell everyone to bloody well run back to the house before all their hard work warming up was for nothing.

Jackson, Danny, and Scott moaned when they ran past the rock. Derek laughed at them from up ahead and told them to keep running. They made it back to the house and the three male betas slumped over hating the fact that their lacrosse training, while enough for the game, was not enough to stand up to Derek at his dictatorial alpha best.

Lydia laughed at them all, glowing from the faint sheen of sweat and breathing no heavier than Derek.

"I hate you." Jackson said with a glare.

"Oh, sweetheart, just because I am so much more spectacular than you shouldn't make you jealous. After all you'd think you'd be used to it by now."

Jackson growled at Lydia just before Derek slapped him on the back and started pairing everyone off.

The first round was slow for most of the pairings, still warming up, getting the feel for their opponents, all but Jasmine and Jackson. Jackson paying for bragging about his prowess by being summarily beaten by the older woman after a long and hard fight. Jackson sporting a twisted ankle and gash down his arm, Jasmine with a black eye, claw marks running the length of one thigh and a bruised wrist. They both shook hands after the match and Jasmine smiled at him as he hopped away waiting for his ankle to heal.

Derek and John opted out of the second round preferring to let the betas fight and moving amongst the fights correcting techniques, encouraging different tactics and stopping fights to show their packs what they need to do.

The end of the second round saw Danny moving over to the porch after an accidental swipe by Lydia had opened up his torso down almost to the bone. He was sent to recuperate wishing, not for the first time today, that Stiles was here since he was good at cleaning and patching and then distracting the wounded wolf from the weird itching, tickling, burning, tingling sensation of a wound knitting together under the power of their advanced healing. Jasmine won again, this time against Scott and Danny was set the task of keeping a track of the fights.

The third round saw Monica and Jackson sit out as well after a vicious three-way fight with Scott which ended up with both Monica and Jackson laughing as they stumbled over to Danny and collapsed on the porch to nurse Monica's broken wrist and the gash on Jackson's temple which was gushing blood. Scott bounded over to apologise but was waved off by both of them with a smile so Scott felt confident bragging about beating Jackson and thinking of ways to get Stiles to note it on the board in the basement.

Jasmine and Lydia had started a fight but were still not finished when Scott was done so Derek sent the younger man in as well. He did not last long. Lydia knocked Scott out with a painful blow that caught Scott too hard when he moved the wrong way. Leaving Lydia and Jasmine to circle each other both bloody and bruised but neither giving an inch.

Later, when both girls were breathing too heavily and neither was giving the other any leeway and everyone was sure that one of them was going to maim the other before the fight was over John and Derek called an end to the contest. Neither of the girls listened and both alphas had to throw themselves into the middle of the fray to pull them apart.

"Excellent fight, Lydia, you did very well." Jasmine said with a sweet smile pushing her hair out of her face and swiping the dripping blood from her arm.

"You as well." Lydia said taking Jasmine's hand and shaking it forcefully.

"Very good fight." John said. "Excellent sportsmanship," he said putting his hand on Jasmine's arm.

"Thanks, John." Jasmine said with a smile and suddenly Derek's pack could see what Jasmine's real smiles looked like. Sweet and large without the bitter edge they had all seen so far.

Everyone headed inside all, but Lydia and Jasmine, healed and mainly cleaned up. They settled in the kitchen after Lydia allowed Danny to wipe away most of the blood to see if there were any worse wounds that might need him to actually do some first aid. Nothing but scrapes and bruises luckily; as Stiles was really the only pack member any good at proper first aid apart from Derek.

"Okay, guys." Derek said aiming his attention at his pack. "If you want to clean up here go for it but you can go home whenever you want. Pack meeting tomorrow. Don't be late."

"We can go?" Danny asked as Jackson and Scott started backing out of the room as quietly and quickly as they could.

"Yes." Derek said attempting to hide his grin.

"Excellent." Danny said turning and leaving the house quickly just behind Jackson and Scott.

"Why?" Lydia asked her face open and smiling but Derek could see something calculating in the way she was looking at him, she was an impertinent little genius girl.

"I have some things to do tonight." Derek replied.

"Things." One of Lydia's perfectly plucked eyebrows rose and Derek felt the overwhelming need to pinch Lydia so she would stop looking at him like that.

"I need to go out and do some things, Lydia." Derek said wrapping his hand around Lydia's shoulder and pushing her out of the room. "Go home."

"Out?" Lydia said with a grin as Derek closed the door just as he pushed her from the house.

"Out?" Jasmine echoed moments later.

Derek turned and smiled at her. "Yes, you three will be able to take care of yourself, right?" Derek directed the question to John and Monica as well.

"Of course." Monica said.

"Help yourselves to anything." Derek said with a grin as he fished his jacket, wallet and mobile out.

"Thanks." John said. "Do you want to go for a walk, Monica?" John's eyes turned soft and dropped down to Monica's face.

"Please." Monica looked at Jasmine quickly and said goodbye to Derek before they both left the house.

"Do you want company?" Jasmine asked with the same sweet smile she'd been using all day that Derek could not for the life of him remember from all those years ago in Brooklyn.

"No, I'm just going to pick up a few things and check on one of my pack." Derek went searching for his keys.

"Stiles?" Jasmine asked. "He's with his dad."

"Yes!" Derek said with a large grin holding up the keys which had been hiding from him. "But he needs to be here tomorrow and he has never missed a training session before. Best to check on him. I'm not sure when I'll be home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Derek smiled again and swept out of the house not noticing the look on Jasmine's face.

**Part 05 – Mark Of The Pack**

Stiles stood up when someone knocked on his door. It shouldn't be the pack but they might have decided to come back and see him again after training.

Stiles opened the door and found Derek standing on the other side staring at him and carrying a pizza. Even though Stiles had been avoiding Derek seeing him made Stiles a little happy...okay, seeing Derek made the tight feeling that had lived in Stiles' chest since he'd seen him sitting next to Jasmine shrink in a painfully sad way. Scott had texted him earlier and said Derek accepted his excuse without question. Really that should have been Stiles' first clue that Derek would rock up…he never accepted your excuse unless you were the one giving it.

"Hi, Derek, what are you doing here?" Stiles moved out of the doorway letting Derek in.

"I had some stuff to do and we are having a pack meeting tomorrow which I wanted to tell you about so I came to check on you. When I was getting fuel your dad stopped next tmeet. Turns out he is working tonight. So I thought I'd bring dinner and find out why you haven't been around? Normally you are at my house whenever your dad is at work but you haven't been." Derek dropped the pizza box on the coffee table and went into the kitchen got himself a coke and a glass of milk for Stiles who was grabbing some napkins.

Stiles sat on the couch and threw the lid off the box. "Awesome, pepperoni."

"So, where have you been?" Derek asked taking a bite out of his piece.

"Here, hanging out with Dad when he's been home and-"

Stiles was cut off when Derek grabbed his arm and turned it so he could see Stiles' bare wrist. "What is this?"

Stiles looked down at his wrist, the cream he'd put on it earlier having soaked in and gone clear showing the tattoo beneath. "A tattoo."

"This is my tattoo."

"Smaller, and somewhere else." Stiles said agreeing, leaving his forearm in Derek's grip while he took another bite out of his pizza.

"Why?"

"We were talking about getting a tattoo as like a pack thing, or maybe just all together. Jackson and Danny were saying they always wanted one." Stiles kept eating, swallowing and continuing with his story while Derek stared at his tattoo; the slice completely forgotten in his hand. "I made a suggestion we get yours since that is the mark of our pack."

"The mark of our pack?" Derek asked his eyes strangely electric blue and his thumb pressed directly over the tattoo on Stiles' wrist. It hurt a little but Stiles wasn't worried about that; instead focussing on the strange look on Derek's face.

"Yeah, I remembered in my readings that normally packs will have a mark that identifies them, something they all share. Traditionally a tattoo. I don't know what your family's mark was but this seemed more…it's already your mark and you are the alpha we all choose to follow so it seemed that your mark should be the mark of our pack."

Derek stared at Stiles for a long time. Stiles kept doing this to him. He was always giving Derek things he didn't know he wanted. It was an old custom for packs to have a symbol that was theirs, just theirs. His family's one had been a complicated series of interwoven spirals but after the fire neither he nor Laura chose to take on the mark. It was a rite of passage for when a wolf reached a certain age in a familial pack or when they accepted the authority of the alpha in a made pack. That could never be his pack's mark because of the history that went with it but this - he'd gotten the tattoo the day he turned eighteen. It was the mark that had been on his grandfather's journal.

"My grandfather used to sit me on his lap when I was little." Derek started not even realising he was talking but Stiles froze and looked at him completely focussed. "He had this journal he would write in, he'd show me the front of the book with the tiniest, slanted writing and would tell me that his father's father's father had started the book when he was bitten by a werewolf. His grandfather had continued the book when he took over as the alpha, then his father and finally him. My dad got the book when he took over as alpha. It was for writing about the major events in the pack's life. New members, births, deaths, alliances, disagreemenwhen that sort of thing. Anything important was written in there. On the front cover was this mark." Derek smoothed his thumb over the tattoo again. "When I was eighteen, the day of my birthday I went and got the tattoo, I couldn't get our family's mark. It wasn't right. But this mark reminded me of my grandfather sitting me on his lap, my nana would make me hot chocolate and he would read me stories from the book, he skimmed over the bad ones I think. But it was all so fascinating."

"Why was it on the front of the book?" Stiles asked in a soft voice.

"Do you know what the symbol is?" Derek asked his eyes lifting from Stiles' tattoo for a moment before flicking back down.

"A triskelion." Stiles said. "It took me a while to find it."

"Do you know what it means?"

"Not really, there were conflicting ideas when I was researching."

"My great great, great grandmother was Irish; the story was that she was a witch but that's not important. The symbol is connected to the idea of moving forward, of progress. She gave him the journal because his transformation was a progression, not something to regret but something to be embraced, something to be rejoiced because it would be the next phase of his life. There was an inscription in the front of the journal; she had big, looping writing and she explained how she loved him and how she thought he was special as well as what the symbol means. The other part of the meaning behind the triskelion is the three arms are the three levels of man – spirit, mind and body. The three things that would need to work in synchronicity to be in control of the wolf. What you need to remember so that you can be the werewolf and the man in balance." Derek explained his thumb swirling around the symbol beneath his thumb tracing the edges and the three protrusions.

"So we picked well?" Stiles asked when Derek has been quiet for a while.

Derek wanted to pull Stiles closer, wrap him up in his arms and tell him how amazing he was. He wanted to thank Stiles for being everything he needed and not even trying, for giving him things he didn't realise he wanted and things he didn't realise were important just because he cared about Derek. Because he thought about the people in his life, because he cared for them. It was getting harder not to tell Stiles, harder not to beg the younger man to love him even though in the end Derek loving him would end in pain.

"It's perfect. You all got them?" Derek asked his eyes electric blue when he looked at Stiles again.

"Yeah, mine on my wrist, Scott and Jackson on their arms," Stiles' said cupping his upper arm just where it stopped being a shoulder. "Danny on his shoulder." Stile's arm moved around to press against his shoulder blade. "Lydia on her lower back off to the side," Stiles pressed his finger to the space over his lower back where Derek knew there was a little indentation in his skin. "Allison came with us but decided not to get one, said if she did she'd get it on the back of her neck just where her hair stopped. But she said she wasn't sure it was a good idea yet. Scott was sad but I hope he gets it. She's there because of him and getting a tattoo for your boyfriend is…permanent."

"All tattoos are permanent." Derek said.

"Yes, but relationships aren't. The rest of them are werewolves too. I am a human but I am not here because of anyone but myself. I am in the pack for me. Getting this is only about me."

"For her it wouldn't be, it would be about him. She needs to decide if she wants in for her before she can get her own one." Derek said finishing Stiles' thought.

"Exactly. If you are going to permanently mark your body you have to do it for the right reasons."

"You gave the pack a symbol." Derek said looking down at the tattoo beneath the plastic protection.

"Is that okay?" Stiles asked, his heartbeat speeding up.

"Thank you." Derek said looking him in the eye. Stiles grinned and Derek finally let go of Stiles hand and started eating his pizza again.

"You're welcome." Stiles said settling down and eating more pizza; his wrist tingling.

**Part 06 – Tattoos**

A few days before Jasmine and her pack appeared on Derek's doorstep, his pack had a meeting without him.

"Hey guys," Stiles said as he came into Jackson's lounge room and flopped onto the couch.

"Female!" Lydia growled.

"'Guys' is a socially acceptable greeting for both genders in social situations where the people being spoken to are friends." Stiles said as he stuck his tongue out.

Lydia chose not to continue with the argument.

"I had a thought." Stiles said with his eyes still closed.

"I hope it didn't hurt." Jackson said and the others groaned in response to the out-dated joke.

"Nah dude, I have them all the time, unlike you." Stiles sat up to look at them. "I thought about the whole tattoo thing we were discussing the other day and I have worked it out."

"Yeah?" Scott said encouragingly.

"Well, it's pretty obvious, Derek is our alpha, and he has a tattoo. Therefore the obvious thing to get, as a pack, is his tattoo." Stiles finished with a flourish and his best I'm-a-genius face.

"That thing is huge, and in the middle of his back. I am not getting that." Lydia said.

"She has a point, but it's a good idea." Danny said with a frown.

"I was thinking, smaller and we could all get it on a different part of our body. Where we wanted it. I was thinking I'd get mine on my wrist." Stiles said holding up his left wrist. "Where I wear my watch so it's not always visible. Now there is more to it; in a couple of the books I've read they talk about the mark of a pack. I was curious so I did some more research and it seems it is a very old tradition. I'm not even sure if any packs still practise it but since some of them keep humans as slaves I don't see why they wouldn't still do this. Anyway, it was a mark worn by the whole pack, originally it would have been a tribal tattoo that was given to members of a clan with special abilities and it marked them out as being whatever type of creature they were. That changed as communal living stopped being as common. Then it would have been a mark worn for both protection and identification. The tattoo was still the preferred method of mark but as society changed and women's place in it was altered there was a necessity for the mark to be displayed as jewellery or a mark woven into clothes, which from what I can tell was big with men too as they would often have the tattoos where it was not polite to be displayed. These marks showed other packs who this person belonged to or with and was used as a secret way to identify people who could be trusted. So I thought, was thinking…I mean I don't know what Derek's family's mark was. Or if they had one but since we were talking about all getting something...I thought maybe this would be the way to go. And since we are all following Derek his tattoo would be the thing to get. I cannot find a definitive answer on what his tattoo means but from the codes I have seen it doesn't seem to be like the spiral and mean vengeance or something equally bad. I think it is special to him and I thought maybe we could give ourselves and our pack a mark. What do you think?" Stiles looked around at his pack nervously. It might be a stupid idea, it just seemed like this would be yet another reminder to Derek he had lost his other family but he had a new one now.

"Shoulder." Danny agreed with a grin.

"Arm." Scott and Jackson said at the same time.

"Left." Stiles said pointing to Jackson and, "right," pointing at Scott.

They both thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

All four of the male pack mates turned as one to look at Lydia.

"Oh I suppose." She sighed.

"I've booked us in for Friday." Stiles grinned.

Danny grinned at him while Jackson and Scott glared for a moment; there was a part of them that did not appreciate being ordered around. But it was Stiles telling them what to do so neither of them felt the urge to argue.

"Where are you going to get it?" Jackson asked Lydia since everything else was sorted.

"I'm thinking about it."

"Are we going to tell Derek?" Jackson asked.

"No." Stiles said, feeling relieved that they liked the idea but looking at Jackson like he was an idiot. "It can be a surprise on Friday. We are supposed to go over for dinner so we can do the big reveal and the four of you should be able to completely show off your tattoos. Mine will still be healing."

On the Friday, they all meet a town over from Beacon Hills, since their home town had no tattoo parlour.

The window of the tattoo parlour was covered in photos of people proudly displaying work done here. Stiles wondered if this was the best idea; he didn't like pain and unlike the four werewolves with him he was not going to heal within the hour. He was actually going to have to deal with the pain and the healing and site care and the possibility of infection. Stiles was the first through the door anyway because this was about the pack and he could deal with a little pain.

"Hello," the heavily tattoo woman at the front counter said with a smile.

"Hi." Stiles said trying very hard not to look at the dragon disappearing into the woman's cleavage; he'd love to know where it went and what that looked like. "We have an appointment."

"Stiles?"

"Yes, hi, umm for five people." Stiles indicated the pack behind him.

"Okay, cutie, who's first?"

"I am." Stiles said blushing at the endearment.

"Come this way, the rest of you can have a seat. My other artist is on break but he'll come get one of you soon."

The woman led Stiles behind a hunter green curtain and told him to sit down. "Where are you having it?"

"My wrist." Stiles said turning his hand over and looking at the blue vein under the skin.

"Okay, it'll hurt there but there is no risk, the needles don't go too deep."

"I'm not worried." Stiles defended.

"Yes you are, cutie, but don't worry I'll take good care of you."

Jackson laughed from the other side of the curtain. "Shut up, Jackson." Stiles called out.

"Sorry, cutie." Jackson called back. Moments later there was the echo of a slap and Stiles grinned up at the tattoo artist as she started fiddling with things and ran him through the process and the sterilisation procedure before he signed the necessary documents and they could start.

"What are we inking today?"

"Oh, right we have a photo." Lydia appeared at the edge of the curtain and handed him the photo surreptitiously taken on one of the many instances in the last few days when Derek had been shirtless, it was pathetically easy to obtain.

"All of you getting the same thing?" The woman asked.

"Yeah," Stiles said. "But we only brought the one photo."

"That's okay. Who is this?"

"Derek, our friend."

"And you are all getting his tattoo? Did he die or are you in a cult or gang, sweetie?"

"Oh no, he's alive. It's…" Stiles stared at the woman blankly he could normally lie better than this.

"It's okay, cutie, don't tell me. Now how big do you want this to be?"

Stiles drew a circle on the tender skin inside of his wrist showing how big he wanted it and she moved over, washed her hands, swiped his wrist with an alcohol rub and grabbed a pen to mark the tattoo out on his skin while she hummed to herself.

"This what you want?" The woman asked when she was done.

Stiles stared at the outline on his wrist for a few moments then up at the woman in front of him with a big grin. "Yeah, that's perfect."

"This Derek must be one hell of a guy," she said with a smile causing Stiles to flush. "All right, let's get started."

The first few pricks of the needle felt weird, painful but not as bad as he was expecting but Stiles couldn't take his eyes off the needle as the ink was forced into his skin creating a tattoo. He heard someone walk out the front and grab Scott sitting him on the other chair in the back room, he was about to close the partition between when Scott told him not to worry. Stiles looked up at him and smiled.

"Does it hurt?" Scott asked as the man was drawing in the stencil.

"Not really, it's like…something I just don't know what. You'll be fine." Stiles said with a smile flicking his eyes up to Scott.

"You will be fine." Allison threw in from out the front.

"Of course I will. I was just curious." Scott said puffing his chest out.

Jackson laughed and Stiles heard the unmistakable smack of Allison clipping him around the ear.

"He gets hit a lot." The artist working on his wrist said.

"It's good for him, keeps his ego manageable...I'm sorry I have forgotten your name."

The woman smiled at him. "Happens all the time, it's Jasmine."

"That's a nice name."

"Disney princess," she said with a quick grin.

"That explains the taffeta."

The woman laughed as she sat down ready for the next stage of his tattoo. "No making me laugh, cutie, at least not while I have the needle."

"Deal." Stiles grinned.

He watched as Jasmine did more work to his wrist. Before long she was finished and bandaged him up after thoroughly disinfecting the area again. "You can go, cutie. Send me the one who keeps getting slapped."

"Thank you, Jasmine." Stiles said walking out and sending Jackson in.

Allison and Lydia both looked at his wrist through the clear covering. "That looks good. Stiles. You'll have to come in when they draw mine; I don't want it any bigger than that."

"Allison, have you decided?" Stiles asked as quietly as he could.

"Yes. No, not now. Maybe one day, but not today."

"I think that's a good idea." Stiles said curling his other arm around her shoulders.

"I know where I'd get it though; I was in the shopping centre the other day and this woman in front of me had one right here." She turned and lifted her hair smoothing her fingers over the middle of the back of her neck just where her hair stopped. "When…if I get it, it will be there."

Not long after Scott came out still shirtless and not bothered. Stiles needed to have that talk about modesty with his pack mates again. Danny went back behind the curtain and Scott did some flexing of his arm until Allison giggled and curled into his side to whisper private things in his ear.

"So, this is something packs used to do?" Lydia asked quietly into Stiles' ear.

"Yeah, it was a way to distinguish the different packs but also a sign of loyalty. From what I read you had to reach a certain age or pass a certain trial if you were a born wolf like Derek but if you were bitten the mark was given when you swore loyalty to the alpha."

"Then why didn't Derek mention anything?" Lydia asked puzzled.

"I don't think he wanted to use his family's mark. With everything that…you know."

"But, wouldn't he still want us to have one?"

"I don't know if his family even had one, I don't know if he is even going to think this is a good idea." Stiles said chewing on his thumb but looking at the myriad of tattoo pictures on the window.

"I'm sure he will love it." Lydia said with a smile just as she was called up Jackson coming and sitting next to Scott showing off his tattoo.

"Scott told me you started in three games this last block." Stiles said once Jackson had stopped flexing.

"Yeah."

"Congratulations." Stiles said. "Next game you start let us know and I'll come watch. I'm sure Derek will too."

"It's not important; you don't have to do that." Jackson said. "I'm just starting; last game I only played the first part."

"It is important. So either you call or Danny or Scott will."

"Okay, Stiles." Jackson said with a grin just as Lydia called Stiles to come behind the curtain and make sure her tattoo was right. By the time he'd convinced Lydia it was all okay Danny was finished and Jasmine waved him into the other chair to watch.

When Jasmine was finished with Lydia's tattoo they went out and paid. "You going to come back and get more tattoos, cutie?" Jasmine asked as she accepted his money.

"I don't know. I figure I'll live with this one for a while and see if I become addicted."

"I would be offended if you went to anyone else."

"Trust me, Jasmine, if I ever get another tattoo I will only come and see a Disney princess."

Jasmine beamed at him displaying a very prominent dimple in her left cheek and Stiles returned the grin before turning around and facing his pack.

"Okay, you three." Stiles said waving his arm at Danny, Jackson and Scott. "Put your bloody shirts on before we leave."

"Oh, cutie," Jasmine said standing at the counter looking up at him with a sweet smile. "Why didn't you get yours somewhere I had to take you shirt off?"

Stiles flushed red. "I don't get shirtless at the drop of a leaf like these three."

"Pity…you should." She gave him a wink and laughed as he stumbled out of the door being dragged by Lydia.

"Thanks, bye." He called out as the door closed and he turned to face his pack. "What?"

"Nice flirting in there, dude." Jackson said. "Why not ask for her number?"

"Oh, well…it was just…flirting? Customer flirting, nothing more." Stiles stammered as they began walking to the car. "She was pretty though."

"She was fucking hot; I might go back and ask for her number." Jackson said before Danny grabbed his shoulder and kept him moving towards the car.

"She referred to you as the one who keeps getting slapped Jackson, she wasn't interested." Danny explained.

"I'd let her slap me around a little." Jackson said with a sly grin.

"Boys!" Lydia said in exasperation.

"Was she flirting with me?" Stiles whispered in the general direction of Lydia's ear.

"Yes she was." Lydia said. "Do you want to go back?"

"No, but that is pretty awesome. I wouldn't mind seeing the rest of her dragon tattoo though." Stiles said just a little bit proud of the fact he got flirted with rather than his three muscle bound friends.

"That was incredibly hot." Jackson agreed.

Lydia slapped Jackson and Stiles both on the arm with a sigh.

Scott pulled the plastic covering from over his tattoo. "Mine's healed."

"Mine too." Jackson said pulling his protective covering off.

Danny followed their example. Lydia ignored them and left the covering on.

"I hate all of you." Stiles said with a glare. His wrist was still hurting, more so now than when the actual tattoo was being inked.

"It's okay; we'll all fuss over you until yours heals, cutie." Lydia said curling her arm into his as they walked back to the car.

"So are we going straight to Derek's?" Scott asked when everyone had piled into Danny's car.

"We were supposed to go for dinner anyway, might as well." Stiles said the excitement of showing Derek sinking into his stomach.

"We need to stop for food." Allison said. "I'm starving from watching you all get inked."

"Yes, food would be excellent." Stiles agreed as they piled into Danny's car and drove away.

**Part 07 – Returning To The Pack**

Stiles went to Derek's house the morning after Derek plied him with pizza and saw the tattoo. Derek had told him his guests were going out for the day since he was going to have a pack meeting. They were so rarely all together in the same town now that whenever they could they had a meeting so that they could catch up in person, draw strength and calmness from their closeness. This visit home had been different to most; the presence of Derek's old friends had made everything awkward. Normally they spent as much time at Derek's house as they could, any time that wasn't demanded by their parents or other things. This time though, since Jasmine's arrival at least, they had been apart more than they had been together.

Stiles opened the door with his key and slipped into the house. "Derek?" he called out as he walked back towards the kitchen.

"He's not here." Jasmine said walking out of the lounge room; she was wearing a tiny little sundress, completely inappropriate for the weather outside.

"Okay, well I'll just go wait in the kitchen then." Stiles said walking past her and into the kitchen.

Jasmine followed him pouring herself another cup of coffee, the last in the pot. Stiles pulled the mug he'd been reaching for from the cupboard and sighed. He moved over to the cupboard with the coffee and set another pot, Lydia would need at least two cups when she got there before she would be nice to anyone.

"You know you're way around this kitchen well, don't you?"

"Yeah, well Derek isn't a good cook, none of the pack are and I am hesitant to die of food poisoning."

"So you do all the cooking?" Jasmine was leaning casually against the counter staring at Stiles but there was something in the way she was looking at him that made Stiles uncomfortable.

"Most of it yes."

"Do you clean as well?"

"Sometimes." Stiles said.

"So Derek was lying, he got himself a little omega but he's pretending that you are an actual member of the pack."

Stiles smiled. "Yes, I suppose he did."

"Well then, you can clean up the breakfast dishes, can't you?" Jasmine said dropping her mug into the sink and turning from the room.

Stiles looked at the dishes and left the kitchen heading out the back door instead. Stupid woman. Derek had the absolute worst taste in women; Kate who'd be psychopathic and Jasmine who was just…mean. Stiles knew he wasn't the omega. Derek didn't believe in them and he'd proven that a long time ago when Mr Wolfram had come to visit but that did not mean Stiles particularly enjoyed the woman's constant implications even if she was wrong.

Stiles walked farther out under Derek's patio, past the barbecue and table and chairs until he had walked out of the area completely and reached the centre of the clearing behind Derek's house. Just before the trees started there was a cement ring for camp fires and a number of tree stumps all pressed firmly into the ground for them to sit on. It had been a suggestion of Jackson's; something he used to do when he was little and his dad took him camping. The next day when they arrived, Derek took the other man out the back and showed him the area, the cement ring in place before handing him an axe and sending him off to cut down a suitable tree. The rest of the pack had been inside painting the upstairs bedrooms and watching. Lydia had told him what the two werewolves were saying. Stiles dropped down onto the log and propped his feet on the concrete ring in front of him looking out at the woods that seemed to stretch on forever. Stiles loved Derek's house, if it were up to him he'd build a little cottage in the woods…really who was he kidding if it were up to him he'd drag Derek up to his bedroom, lock the door, and spend a week learning the alpha's body. But it wasn't up to him and the woman inside was yet another reminder of why not; Derek liked women and Stiles needed to stop hoping that would change.

Stiles heard a car door slam after a while. Probably Derek since Stiles had been early. With a sigh Stiles stood up and headed back into the house. When he came in through the back door he found Derek putting things away in the fridge.

"Morning, Stiles." Derek said without pulling his head from the task.

"Hey." Stiles got himself a cup of coffee. "Coffee?"

"No, I'm going to have some green tea," Derek replied. "I realised when I woke up this morning that the errand I was supposed to run yesterday didn't happen since we were watching TV instead."

"Needed to stock up for the merry bang of growing werewolves?"

"They aren't growing." Derek grumbled.

"No, but they eat like they do." Stiles laughed grabbing a mug and tea bag for Derek.

"I'll do that." Derek said throwing some bread at Stiles. "I figure you didn't eat breakfast."

"It's all good. No, I didn't."

"You never do."

"I do eat breakfast," Stiles defended.

"When I force you to sit down and eat or throw it at you as you run from the apartment."

"See, I eat." Stiles chuckled, putting the toast in. "Want any?"

"Yes, please. I was trying to get back before you got here."

"Why?" Stiles swapped spots with Derek to grab what he needed from the fridge while Derek made his cup of tea.

Just as Stiles had buttered a piece of toast, Lydia appeared next to him and stole it along with his cup of coffee before throwing herself at the kitchen table with a groan.

"Up late chatting with Logan again?" Stiles prodded.

"No…maybe." Lydia said drinking Stiles' coffee before holding the cup out with a plaintive moan.

Stiles laughed at her and got her a cup of coffee to a grateful smile.

"The words you are looking for are please and thank you, Lydia." Derek reminded filling the sink to wash the dishes.

Lydia nodded slowly before Stiles placed more toast in front of her. She grabbed his upper arm and pulled him down pressing a kiss to his cheek before smiling and letting him go.

Stiles smiled at Derek and put on more toast.

"Good morning, Lydia, Stiles." Jasmine said as she swept into the room a moment later. "Stiles, I thought we'd see you again at training. I hear you are normally very helpful."

Stiles stared at Jasmine for a moment blinking; he looked to Lydia as Jasmine walked over to Derek and offered to help do the dishes while John and Monica finished getting ready.

"Morning, Jasmine." Lydia and Stiles finally said after a silent and confusing non-verbal conversation.

Stiles went back over to finish making toast and got himself another cup of coffee before taking a seat next to Lydia so he could watch Derek and Jasmine doing the dishes. Lydia shrugged at him again and finished her cup of coffee eying Stiles' as he pulled it closer and glared at her. She sighed and went to get her own.

Jasmine and Derek stood side by side washing the dishes chatting about Laura and New York and their adventures there. Stiles watched Derek rather than listening to what he was actually saying. Old friends tended to talk in a way that could not be followed so he ignored it and watched the emotions dancing around Derek's face. It had taken him a long time to be able to see what Derek was feeling under his constant scowl and glare. He'd joked to Lydia once that the man was only fluent in the language of VIOLENCE but he'd been wrong, Derek tended to threaten to get what he wanted because he hadn't known that he could just ask. Hadn't had the chance to just ask in years. Eventually he'd realised, he'd tried and learned how to talk to his pack with only the occasional threat, still oddly enough directed mainly at Stiles.

Stiles thought about the promise he had extracted from the pack which meant they couldn't talk about Jasmine. He'd been rethinking it this morning when Jasmine had been talking to him but now, watching the quiet joy on Derek's face talking about Laura and something to do with ice skating and the flash of a smile that lingered when Jasmine commented on Laura and her tendency to hug people for no reason, Stiles knew he'd made the right decision. For as long as Jasmine was here he was going to be nice to her and ignore anything she said to him. Hopefully it would just be the week because if this morning was any indication of how the rest of the week would go she was going to be a two-faced bitch but he could put up with her and give Derek this.

Jasmine and Derek finished the dishes and Jasmine smiled up at him.

"I should go; surely John and Monica will be ready by now." Jasmine said sweeping from the room.

Moments later the three visiting werewolves appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"We're off, Derek; let us know if you want us to stay out for dinner." John said with a grin.

"We should be done by then." Derek said turning to Stiles and raising an eyebrow waiting for his minute nod. "Come back for dinner, we'll all eat together."

"Sounds lovely," Monica said. "See you all later."

"Yes," Jasmine smiled. "I look forward to tasting Stiles amazing cooking, everyone keeps bragging about it. Well best be off. Bye."

Jasmine turned and left the room followed by John and Monica.

"I was thinking Chinese." Derek said to the empty doorway.

"Szechuan Beef." Stiles said with a grin ignoring the look on Lydia's face.

"I suppose." Derek said. "We'll sort that all out later."

"No, I want Szechuan beef." Stiles said again.

"Then you shall have it." Derek said just as the front door was thrown open again and with loud voices Scott, Jackson and Danny arrived coming into the kitchen and going straight for the fridge. Derek watched as they found things to eat and then settled at the table with Stiles and Lydia. Jackson pressed his shoulder into Stiles' as he grinned around the peach in his mouth.

"Do none of you eat before you come to my house?" Derek asked.

"I ate breakfast." Scott muttered around his mouthful of cheese, he threw in a piece of ham before continuing. "But I'm growing boy and have a werewolf metabolism," Scott finished the thought with a shrug.

"Your mum needs to stop telling you that," Stiles said finishing his toast and pushing the plate forward. "It's a lie and she's a nurse who knows better."

Scott grinned at him.

"I ate." Lydia piped up the caffeine running around in her system enough now that she could speak without trying to beat one of them over the head with a chair.

Stiles took a sip of coffee and held his tongue over the three cups of coffee she'd had since she came in and the next one she looked to be going to get as soon as Derek moved away from the pot. He took pity on her and stood getting them both another cup and throwing some toast in for Derek since he seemed to have forgotten he too hadn't eaten.

"See, Stiles is eating too. Did you tell him off?" Jackson asked with a pout.

"Actually that's for Derek." Stiles said when he sat down next to Jackson and offered his plate for the peach pit.

Danny's cough sounded a lot like 'suck up'.

"I love you." Lydia professed after her first mouthful of new coffee.

"Love you too, Lydia." Stiles chuckled watching Derek watch his pack. "Derek, stop pouting, you buy the food they eat so it's really your own fault. If you had no food they wouldn't come expecting to eat."

Derek glared at Stiles for a few long minutes. "There is a flaw to your logic. I buy food so that _I_ can eat."

"You don't like peaches."

Derek turned his back on the pack and made his toast grinning through his annoyance because as per usual Stiles was right. Derek brought his own plate and mug to the table and kicked Scott's legs off his chair.

"How was training yesterday?" Stiles asked.

Everyone turned and looked at Lydia.

"Lydia kicked arse." Scott said with a broad grin.

"She beat everyone…except Jasmine but she would have if Derek hadn't have stopped the fight." Jackson added.

"Even you?" Stiles asked.

"It's doesn't count for the board downstairs." Jackson said. "You weren't here so you couldn't award points properly."

"Well done, Lydia. You're right; it doesn't count towards the board, next time it will though." Stiles said knocking his shoulder into Jackson's again.

"She tore my chest open in the second fight, evil bitch." Danny complained and was rewarded with a broad, evil grin from Lydia and a sympathetic one from Stiles.

"I beat Jackson too." Scott bragged. "In fact it was a three-way fight so it's even better."

"Well done." Stiles said with a grin even though Scott had called him the previous night to tell him about it.

"Just before Lydia knocked him out with a single blow." Jackson added with a glare.

"Just like Muhammad Ali." Lydia smirked lifting her fists up.

"Sounds excellent, sorry I missed it."

"We missed you too." Danny threw in as all the other wolves nodded.

"Okay, everyone finished eating me out of house and home. Jackson, clean the table then everyone needs to be in the lounge room. Where is Allison?" Derek ordered before turning to Scott.

"Late, her dad wanted to see her." Scott explained.

"Okay, we'll start without her, who knows how long he'll keep her if he knows where she is going." Derek said putting his plate in the sink and watching the rest of the wolves throwing their rubbish away why Jackson wiped the table off. Derek left them to it and headed into the lounge room Stiles walking behind him.

"It sounds like a good training session, why didn't you say anything about it last night. You must be proud of them." Stiles said kicking off his shoes and sitting on the couch legs crossed and arms thrown back along the cushions.

"Course I'm proud of them, they fought very well."

"Thanks Derek," Jackson said from the doorway where all of the betas were standing with happy smiles on their faces.

Stiles chuckled and wriggled around on the spot refusing to meet Derek's eye.

"Alright," Derek said when everyone was sitting. "Show them to me."

"What?" Danny asked confused.

"When Derek came to see me last night he saw my tattoo." Stiles explained going a little red in the cheeks.

"And you were worried we were going to be the ones to reveal it because it was supposed to be something we all did together and you just stole our thunder." Danny said with a pout pulling his shirt off and turning so Derek could see the fist sized tattoo on his shoulder blade.

"Such a terrible example you are setting for us." Jackson added pulling his shirt off and showing Derek his left arm with a similar sized tattoo was visible.

"And to think we all thought you were this bastion of righteouness and you could be trusted to keep your word." Scott said taking his top off and showing Derek is right arm.

Stiles threw a cushion at each of the wolf's heads when they were looking at Derek. "You total dickheads."

All three of them turned huge grins on Stiles who rolled his eyes.

"Yes, very silly all of you." Lydia said before dropping her pants and turning to show Derek her lower back. Stiles laughed at the stunned looks on both Scott and Jackson's face probably because the tiny purple underwear Lydia was wearing had three lines of ruffles over her backside.

"Lydia, pull your pants up." Jackson demanded moving over to try and help her.

"Jackson, you only ever took them off, let go." Lydia said stepping away and pulling her jeans back up winking at Stiles who grinned back at her.

"I cannot believe you did that…actually, I really can." Stiles said pulling Lydia onto the couch next to him.

"It's fun to watch Jackson's eyes detach from his head." Lydia said with a smile.

The front door opened and someone breezed in, Allison had said she'd be late but the woman standing in the open entryway was Jasmine looking at Jackson, Scott and Danny's shirtless bodies with confusion until she saw the mark on them.

"That's your tattoo." Jasmine said pointing to the three men, as they pulled their tops back on, but looking at Derek.

"Pack mark." Derek said with undisguised happiness.

"You have a pack mark?" Jasmine asked with confusion. "Laura never had one."

"It's new, just since Friday." Stiles said. Jasmine didn't look at him, her eyes still trained on Derek.

"Stiles' idea." Lydia said.

"Stiles?" Jasmine said finally turning her eyes onto the younger man.

Stiles held up his wrist. "I read about it in one of the old werewolf texts Derek gave me."

"That's great, Derek." Jasmine said as she took a step back. "I forgot my sweater. I won't interrupt."

Jasmine disappeared and with a wave, as she passed the door again, she left.

**Part 08 – Being Pack**

The pack watched Jasmine leave the house and Lydia wrapped her hand around Stiles' knee. He raised his eyebrow at her but she just took her hand away with a shake of her head.

"You know, I understand you are all insanely proud of your werewolf-y bodies and all but you don't need to take your clothes off all the time." Stiles said with a smile.

"Jealous?" Jackson asked flexing his arms.

"Not really." Stiles said.

"You have no reason to be, no reason at all." Lydia giggled next to him.

"What?" Stiles asked turning to stare at her.

"Nothing." Derek and Stiles were both glaring at Lydia. "Seriously, you can't hide the fact you are lovely. Even if you do refuse to let us see it."

"I don't believe you." Stiles said watching her closely.

"It's true. Anyone could see you have a very nice body under your clothes."

"It's true." Allison said from the doorway.

"Allison, you're here. Early too," Scott said walking over to her and curling an arm around her shoulders dragging her further into the room. "Wait, you've thought about Stiles naked?"

Allison and Lydia shrugged with a grin.

"Now if only someone would answer about me being attractive to gay guys." Stiles opened his eyes wide and looked at Danny imploringly.

"I've answered that question already, you insanely needy compliment whore." Danny said.

"Just say it, Danny." Stiles asked again.

"Fine!" Danny threw his hands up and settled onto the other couch. "You're hot."

Stiles grinned. "I know."

"Tool." Danny muttered.

"If you are all finished." Derek said, "I would like to get to the actual pack meeting we are here for."

"Sorry, Derek." Danny said smirking at Stiles. Stiles lifted his eyebrows to ask Danny what he meant but Danny just widened his smirk and turned to Jackson.

"Right." Derek said. "Danny, how are you going with everything?"

Danny looked around the pack and chose to watch Stiles as he spoke. "Good, had trouble with holding off the shift last full moon but Jackson and Scott helped me through."

"What caused the trouble?" Stiles asked quietly.

"Anger."

"Why?" Stiles continued he knew Derek knew the story, most of them did but these meetings were for talking to the pack as a whole. Jackson had called Derek during the last full moon and he'd driven off to sort it out. Stiles hadn't been able to leave since his class was doing rotating oral presentations and he couldn't guarantee being back in time. It had taken Derek three days to get back to Berkeley and Danny had been reluctant to talk about it but that was what these meetings were all about. They were a completely safe place to talk about anything and everything.

"I just found out Nathan was cheating on me that afternoon."

None of the pack moved to Danny they all wanted to comfort but this was not about Danny's heartbreak it was about the werewolf, the change, and since Danny was only just six months on from the bite this needed to be about that. Later they could all sit with him and wallow in his pain like they all had when they had first found out about Nathan and his arsehole ways.

"Jackson." Derek said shifting the focus away from Danny while he got his thoughts together.

"We ran through all of the mediation stuff you'd talked about but as the moon came up completely Danny's anger increased and he couldn't control it." Jackson said succinctly pressing his hip and arm into Danny's side.

"Scott?" Derek prompted next.

"We had to restrain him; the first night was the worst. It was a lot like my first full moon. I remember the jealousy growing and I think that helped me talk to him."

"Danny." Derek came back to Danny. He was ready; Derek could feel it in the way Danny was watching Scott speak instead of just looking at his hands and listening like he did with Jackson. Danny caught Derek's eye for a moment and nodded before he told his story.

"I felt off all that day, like normal, the struggle to keep from following all those instincts that you know you shouldn't listen to. Nothing felt wrong. I wasn't going to see Nathan because of what day it was but I had to go and get a textbook. One of his roommates let me in. I saw them and I wanted blood, I could taste it, I could smell it, I could see it pumping through his veins. I wanted to open them both up and cause them pain. I was able to stop myself but it was hard, the hardest thing I've had to do since I struggled through my first full moon. I called Jackson and he met me halfway, got me home. I knew I couldn't run. Not that night so we decided to hole up in the basement. As it got later I started seeing them. More than I had, more than I wanted to. I could feel it in my bones and in the blood in my veins, the need desperate and overpowering to run and hurt and kill. I wanted to sneak out but Scott was watching me closely and I couldn't. That's when Jackson called you I think. The change came over me and nothing would let me go back. I couldn't shift and they tried to help but nothing did. Scott told me about his first full moon when he had hunted Jackson and most of what he described was how I felt but I still wanted out. I wanted to cause Nathan as much pain as he caused me. I remember Jackson sitting on me and making me breathe with his heartbeat, it kept me grounded for a while. I know they had the tranquilisers and would have taken me out between them. I stayed on that ledge, I didn't push I think because I knew they were stronger. I felt like I was following their breathing and I didn't feel that until they were pressed close. Eventually my breathing matched Jackson's but I couldn't shift back, I was still stuck. I didn't know where to go from there. Finally, Derek got there and I felt like a band that was holding me together the whole night was gone. I still wanted to go and hurt Nathan; make him feel what I had felt but it wasn't the same as before. It felt more like how I wanted to hurt him a week later when I saw them both at a café sitting together and acting as though they hadn't cheated their way to happiness. More than it hurts now but less than that night."

Danny stopped and everyone simply sat for a while. Moments later when Danny was calm and collected again, Stiles stood and moved towards him crowding Danny closer into Jackson's side. As Stiles squashed Danny between himself and Jackson, Lydia came over and settled down on their legs her arms curling around Danny's neck. Scott's hands pressed down on Danny's shoulders and Danny took a few huge body quaking breaths. He rested his head to the side so his forehead was pressed into Jackson's and Derek came over pressing his hand to the top of Danny's head. Danny smiled at the feeling of closeness and they all stayed where they were just curled up together.

Allison hung back, her hand resting on Danny's where it rested on Jackson's knee but she still wasn't comfortable with the way the pack held one another and pressed close whenever they were next to one another. The pack touched for everything. Derek was the least tactile person in the group – he never initiated contact but provided it whenever it was needed. The betas and Stiles spent most of their time together pressed close, sharing the same chair on just using one another as a seat. Holding arms and hands, arms thrown over shoulders or wrapped around waists in public so they were still close. They spent their time together really together in a way that still made Allison somewhat uncomfortable and left Derek sitting back for reasons Stiles could not work out.

Time passed but none of them keep track and eventually they started moving away from Danny. Even when Danny would have been able to move away he still stayed pressed close to Jackson's side as everyone else moved back to their spots, Stiles settling back on the other end of Derek's couch before Lydia came over and shoved him closer to Derek so she could curl herself up against the arm of the chair before dragging Stiles' arm over her shoulders.

The meeting from there went more like they normally did, lighter topics, they always dealt with big things first and then turned their attention to just catching everyone up on what was going on in their lives. They started talking about what was happening at university.

/\\-/\

Lydia started. "My professor in Applied Mathematics wants me to apply for a summer internship at MIT."

"I've always wanted to go to Massachusetts," Stiles grinned hugging Lydia closer from where she was pressed into his side.

Lydia smiled. "Derek, it's a great opportunity but I know summer is important for the pack. I want to talk to you about it."

"All of summer?" Derek asked.

"Half," Lydia said.

"I'll rent a house; we'll come up for parts of it as we can. Apply; it sounds like a great experience."

Lydia's body relaxed next to Stiles. She didn't need permission but being so far from the pack for the school year was hard and she desperately missed the closeness and feeling of family she had in this room with these people. "I will; I might not get in."

"Bitch, please. You will," Stiles continued whispering in her ear complete confidence in her swelling in his chest next to the pride.

/\\-/\

"I know what I want to do at university now." Scott said his voice hesitant. "Finally."

"Go on." Allison said wrapping her hand around his knee.

Stiles smiled his encouragement when Scott looked to him for support.

"Horticulture. I love plants, always have and I love gardening. I took a couple of units and I think this is the right choice."

Stiles beamed at Scott; even though this wasn't news to him he was so very happy for Scott. Scott had struggled to come up with something he loved to study. Stiles couldn't remember the last time Scott had been this excited about school. Even the day he had been accepted to USC with a scholarship paled next to the excitement and certainty Stiles had seen in his best friend when he had told him about this decision.

Everyone congratulated Scott; happy for him.

/\\-/\

"The guy who attacked Derek hasn't been seen again," Stiles said.

Derek turned on him. "Stiles!" That isn't your…again? You told them?"

"Of course I did." Stiles said with a half-shrug. "You weren't going to."

"I would have told them." Derek said glaring at Stiles.

"When?" Stiles asked turning to Derek more completely. "It happened a month ago."

"When we were all together."

"We were all together two weeks ago for Jackson's birthday."

"It was his birthday."

"The morning after wasn't."

Derek growled at Stiles. "It isn't something they needed to know."

"Derek," Scott said jumping into the argument knowing he shouldn't. "You're our alpha if someone attacks you how are we supposed to help if you don't tell us?"

"It is my job to be the strong one - I am your alpha. You don't need to help me, I can handle it."

Stiles slid from under Lydia and grabbed onto Derek's forearm. "Just because you are the alpha doesn't mean you have to be infallible, Derek. We know you're strong, you can ask for help sometimes."

Derek stared at Stiles for a moment. He hated how Stiles managed to see what Derek wasn't saying and never ever let him get away with being anything other than truthful and for one fleeting moment Derek wondered how Stiles had missed the giant Stiles-shaped hole in Derek's heart.

"I don't," Stiles lifted his eyebrow at Derek's words. "Okay so about a month ago some guy rocked up at our door and shot Stiles and I in the face with aconite he'd boiled into water. He used a water pistol. It took me three days to heal."

"Have you seen him since?" Danny asked playing along.

"No, he obviously wanted to know if I was a werewolf but I haven't seen him again and I didn't have time to scent him so I could track him." Derek admitted watching Stiles out of the corner of his eye.

"If we see him again you can sniff him while I make sure he doesn't shoot you." Stiles said with a smile.

"Thanks for telling us, Derek." Lydia said.

Derek decided not to respond to what she had to say. "Other than that, everything is good, uni is going well."

"Me too." Stiles said. "Oh, Derek, forgot to tell you we are going to Jackson's next lacrosse match."

"Okay." Derek said causing Jackson to grin.

"You don't need to." Jackson said.

"Jackson is starting," Stiles said. "If he had have said something when it was happening we could have come to the first one."

"I went to that game," Lydia said. "He was very athletic."

"I didn't play for long that game." Jackson admitted.

"They brought you back into the game." Scott said. "You got a goal that night."

Jackson smiled. "I did, it was good."

"You should have told us." Derek said. "We would have come."

"It's a long drive for a game of lacrosse." Jackson said.

"Jackson," Stiles said throwing a pillow at Jackson's head. "We are coming. Don't make me actually get up to shake you. Lydia will be pissed I made her move. We are coming and that is that."

"Fine." Jackson said throwing the pillow back so Stiles could tuck it back under his neck.

"Good!" Stiles said getting comfortable again. "How are your classes going?"

"I enjoy the some of the courses but others make me want to quit." Jackson said.

"Is the plan still to go into law?" Lydia asked.

"I suppose." Jackson said.

"You should find something that makes you happy, Jackson, don't worry so much about what you think your dad wants and worry about what you do."

"Lydia, I really don't want to have this conversation again."

"Okay." Lydia said with a sad smile. "Any girls worth mentioning?"

"You know I don't kiss and tell." Jackson said with a wink. "There have been a few girls."

Danny hid a very subtle 'man-whore' in a loud cough interrupting Jackson. Everyone laughed as Jackson smiled proud of himself.

"Everyone is happy at the end of the night." Jackson said with a grin and a wink.

"Course they are, babe," Lydia said. "Can I introduce you to a little movie called 'When Harry Met Sally'?"

Jackson barked out a laugh. "You trying to re-write history, Lydia?"

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't need to re-write it, I just need to remind you."

"I think I might be too young for this conversation." Stiles said with a small smile.

"Don't worry, Stiles, I'll keep it clean. Jackson, I hope you are having fun and I hope the girls you are entertaining are too."

"Don't you worry they are." Jackson said. "Never had any complaints."

"Have you had much repeat business?"

Jackson laughed. "God, I miss you when we're at school."

"You too, sweetheart." Lydia smiled.

"So what's happening with Logan?" Jackson asked turning the tables.

"Logan and I are friends." Lydia said her voice sharp.

"Okay." Jackson said holding his hands up.

Stiles nudged Lydia. "Man's a fool."

"We are friends." Lydia said again.

"Of course you are," Derek said. "Leave it alone please, guys."

Lydia smiled her appreciation at Derek knowing she had an ally in her alpha in this. The pack nodded changing the subject remembering it for next time they needed Lydia to clam up.

/\\-/\

"I started working at a bakery." Allison said.

"Where?" Lydia asked.

"Just off campus. I basically just serve but the owners; this old Italian couple – actually mainly Mr Bugiardini – has been teaching me stuff when I come in for early morning shifts. That pie I made the other day, I used his recipe for sour cream pastry."

"It was a really good pie." Derek said. "None of the pack got to eat it; they all ran away as soon as training was over."

"Well, it had been a long day." Danny said catching Lydia's eye.

"That was my pie." Lydia said.

"No one technically won the fight." Scott pointed out.

"John and I claimed it in the name of alphas everywhere." Derek said with a quick grin. "It was lovely."

"I made another one and put it in the fridge, berry this time. I put it in there when you were all distracted by the discussion of Stiles and his hotness." Allison said with a grin.

"I love you." Scott and Jackson said in chorus. Scott turned to his pack mate and growled while Allison laughed and punched him in the shoulder.

"I don't want to have sex with her, just want her for her pie." Jackson said kicking Scott's knee lightly.

"I've seen that movie." Lydia said with a smirk causing the rest of the pack to laugh while Jackson blushed.

/\\-/\

When everyone had nothing else to share and were full of lunch they settled down to watch a movie calm and happy after spending time with the family they all chose.

**Part 09 – Dinner With A Side Of Snark**

John, Jasmine, and Monica returned when the pack had just started the third Harry Potter movie.

Stiles legs were thrown over the back of the couch with Lydia using his stomach as a pillow. Derek was sprawled on the couch on his other side his shoulder pressed into Stiles' knee. Jackson and Danny were spread out on the other couch their shoulders pressed together as they mumbled things to one another, comments about the movie and anything else that came to mind. Scott was lying on the floor using Allison's knee for a pillow from where she was sitting with her back to the couch near Lydia so they could complain about Hermione's teeth and hair and all the things that were different about the movies from the books.

"Does anyone else think this bit is a set up for a porn movie?" Jackson asked.

Lydia threw popcorn at his head. "Only in your head…actually, yes, it really is. Huh."

"Harry and Hermione or Ron and Hermione." Danny posed to the group.

"Hermione and Ron." Jasmine said firmly announcing their arrival from the doorway.

"Which ones get together in the books?" Derek asked.

"Which do you think should is the question." Danny replied.

Derek thought on it for a moment. "Hermione and Harry. She and Ron have nothing in common."

"Ha!" Stiles said throwing some popcorn into the air and catching it with his teeth. "Told you."

"Just because Derek agreed with you doesn't necessarily make you right, Stiles." Allison said.

"Alpha means right." Stiles shrugged.

"That's funny, because you tell me I am wrong a lot." Derek said throwing some popcorn at Stiles who grinned and grabbed it from his chest to throw into his mouth.

"No, in the books it's Ron and Hermione," Jasmine said coming to sit on the large foot stool next to Derek's spot. "They are meant to be together."

"They fight all the time." Stiles said.

"Flirting," Jasmine said. "After all, opposites attract sometimes."

Allison and Lydia started giggling.

"Yes, they are flirting. Flirting through disagreement, the very best kind of display of mutual horniness." Lydia choked out between giggles.

"You were on my side before," Stiles said tugging one of the braids Allison had given Lydia during the second movie.

"Still am, sweetheart," Lydia said. "All for the pumpkin pie."

"The what?" Stiles asked.

"Nothing," Lydia said quickly with a slight blush. "John, Monica, why don't you sit down?"

"I'm going to go and have a shower before we eat." Monica said with a smile.

"Do you want us to order?" Derek asked.

"Order?" Jasmine said. "I thought we were going to get to experience Stiles' amazing cooking."

"Too many people," Derek responded. "It's not fair to Stiles to ask him to cook for everyone."

"Plus, we get Chinese," Stiles said. "I love Chinese."

"You don't need to order yet. We just walked a lot today and I want to have a shower. I'm happy to wait," Monica said before leaving the doorway.

"This is my favourite one of the movies," John said sliding onto the last remaining couch.

"Popcorn?" Danny offered over Jackson's legs.

"Thanks."

"I always thought Ralph Fiennes would have been excellent as Lupin," Jackson said.

"He's Voldemort," Lydia replied.

"Well duh," Jackson said throwing some popcorn at her. "Before he became Voldemort obviously."

"I always kind of thought Lupin would be hotter," Stiles said.

"Me too," Allison agreed enthusiastically. "Like he was the hot teacher at the school; like Mr Harris."

"You thought Mr Harris was hot?" Jackson asked.

"He was," Danny agreed.

"Is it the werewolf thing?" John asked.

Allison, Lydia and Stiles started laughing having never thought of it that way. "He is a werewolf!" Stiles gasped out. "That's hilarious."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"He's a werewolf," Allison said as though that explained everything.

"I never thought about the fact he's a werewolf," Lydia threw in.

Derek looked at Stiles with a raised eyebrow.

"Turns out they were hot for werewolves before they even knew they were real," Stiles explained with a smile before hugging Lydia's giggling body closer.

"He's a werewolf," Lydia giggled out again.

Derek just looked at Stiles confused for a moment before shrugging.

"Do you think Dumbledore ever had sex with Professor McGonagall?" Jackson asked in a faraway voice.

"Dumbledore is gay," Jasmine told him.

"Really?" Jackson asked popping up to stare at Jasmine.

"Yeah," she said. "JK Rowling said he was."

"I think he had a sordid affair with Grindelwald. Then he had to kill him," Danny threw in.

"Okay, so who is Professor McGonagall having sex with then?" Jackson asked.

"Maybe no one," John threw out.

"Wearing all that tartan, no way, you just know she's a freak in the bedroom," Jackson said.

"I think you might need to have your glands tested, Jackson," Danny said punching his friend on the shoulder.

"Nothing wrong with a voracious sexual appetite," Jackson said. "You all need to get over your jealousy."

"High sex drives are normal for werewolves," Jasmine said. "Right, Derek?"

The room turned deadly silent and all eyes turned to Derek who stared at Jasmine his mouth hanging a little open. "Umm…" Derek turned his eyes to Stiles who just smiled up at him. "Jackson does have a very high sex drive, some might say man-whore," Derek said hedging which caused the room to erupt in laughter and the attention to return to the movie and off of Derek.

After the movie ended Derek decided it was time for dinner. "Stiles come and help me order?"

"Sure," Stiles said waiting for Lydia to lift her head before he tumbled himself off of the chair causing him to land heavily on the floor. He bounced back up to his feet ignoring Scott's chuckle but delivering a kick to his calf as he left the room trailing behind Derek.

Derek and Stiles were in the kitchen for all of a minute, just long enough for Derek to hunt down the menu while Stiles found a piece of paper and wrote Szechuan Beef at the top with a firm line underneath in emphasis, before Jasmine came in after them.

"Oh, I loathe Szechuan Beef." Jasmine said looking over Stiles' shoulder.

"Stiles loves it and of course you don't need to eat it." Derek said with a smile.

"We'll need about four things of rice." Stiles said thinking of the group in the lounge room. "Are you sure, we could throw something on the barbecue this is going to be insanely expensive."

"Ehh." Derek said. "I don't want to cook."

"Lazy sod," Stiles grinned, writing down Scott and Lydia's favourite dish.

"Should you just be adding dishes?" Jasmine asked sitting next to Stiles forcing Derek to sit across from him.

"I know what everyone likes," Stiles shrugged and added Danny's favourite dish.

"But Derek doesn't?" Jasmine asked looking up at Derek from under her lashes.

"He always mixes up the dishes from Thai and Chinese. Derek, do you want the pork or chicken?"

Derek fiddled with his earlobe for a moment and then nodded. "Pork. Jasmine what do you like?"

"John and Monica like vegetarian omelettes."

"Okay," Stiles said writing it down on the list.

"You have all our dishes?" Derek asked pulling the list of dishes towards his side of the table.

"Yes," Stiles said holding onto the list causing the paper to lie taught between them threatening to rip. "Why do you want the paper?"

"To look at it," Derek said slamming his other hand on the paper between their fingers and yanking it the rest of the way over to him. Stiles grinned at him and stole the menu turning it over to look at the entrees. He threw the pen at Derek's face which the alpha caught before it hit him and lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Add spring rolls and wantons please," Stiles said with a grin.

"Honey chicken," Jasmine said suddenly causing Stiles and Derek to turn their eyes to her startled. Derek blinked quickly; he'd forgotten there was anyone else there. It took him a moment to realise what she meant. He quickly dropped his eyes to the sheet in front of him and wrote her dish down when he reached the realisation.

"I'll call," Stiles said. "Mrs Kim likes me better than you."

"I'd be worried about your virtue if Mrs Kim wasn't old enough to be your mother," Derek said handing over his credit card.

"That really isn't a good enough reason not to worry about my virtue. I could be into older women."

"But you aren't," Derek said with confidence.

"Because he's gay?" Jasmine asked.

Stiles stared at her his mind completely blank.

"Stiles isn't gay," Derek said. "He liked Lydia, and dated a girl named MJ at uni last year."

Stiles turned his back on both werewolves when Mrs Kim answered the phone. "Mrs Kim, it's Stiles…yes I am…very well, I'm enjoying it…no, I'm ordering for the group…Dad is good…no, he shouldn't be ordering Chinese more…I know but he is supposed to be cutting down on meat and rich sauces…is Johnny there tonight?...excellent so he'll deliver it for me?...I promise to make him feel bad for not going to uni…yes, Scott is here…Mrs Kim, that's not very nice…yes Derek is here…yes he is…Mrs Kim!...can I order now?...thank you, Mrs Kim." Stiles ordered their insane list of dishes and gave her Derek's card number.

Stiles didn't realise that Derek was watching him and Jasmine was watching Derek her scowl increasing.

"Derek," Jasmine said dragging his attention back from Stiles.

"Did you want to change your order, Jasmine?"

"No, thanks." Jasmine said. "What is the plan for tomorrow?"

"Nothing at the moment, we have a couple more days before the full moon so I hadn't planned anything. The pack normally just hangs out when we are all home."

"Yeah," Stiles interrupted them. "Doggy piles, sniffing each other's butts, that sort of-OW!" Stiles pushed Derek's pinching fingers away. "Was that necessary?"

"Lydia might laugh at your insanity but really in front of other packs you will give us a reputation."

"We already have one, we are the pack that doesn't own shirts and only accepts members that are painfully hot. Lead of course by the hottest of the hot."

"Derek," Jasmine supplied.

Stiles looked at her liked she was slow. "No…me."

Derek laughed and Stiles grinned before leaving the kitchen. "I love the fourth movie, come on. Johnny is going to deliver in about an hour."

"So," Derek said following Stiles out leaving Jasmine alone in the kitchen to trail behind them. "We might eat at some point before midnight."

"Mrs Kim will make sure he delivers it hot even if it's not fast."

"It's a good thing you have an inside track, Stiles," Jasmine said pushing between the two men.

"Mrs Kim is lovely," Stiles said walking back over to his chair and sliding back under Lydia's head though he sat upright this time.

"Mr Kim is a dragon lady and scary as all fuck," Scott said vehemently.

"She is not," Stiles defended.

"She likes you," Derek explained sitting down next to Stiles a distance of millimetres between their shoulders.

"Why does she like you?" Jasmine asked.

"My sparkling wit and effervescent personality," Stiles said grinning widely showing more teeth than anyone thought was absolutely necessary.

Jasmine stared at him, her lips not even twitching, her eyes screaming that she was unimpressed.

"Or perhaps the fact that I used to live on Chinese after my mum died and I found her cat when it got out and looked after them sometimes."

"You like cats?" Monica asked.

"They are very independent," Stiles said with a grin. "I like them, they snuggle but sometimes they just do their own thing…like werewolves."

Monica laughed with Stiles just as the title music started and they turned back to the movie.

"Hey, this one had the ponciest vampire EVER, he's even less imposing that Angel when he was all pathetic and living in a sewer, at least Angel looked dangerous all dirty and wounded." Danny ranted.

"He's cute," Allison defended. "Even if he's in no way scary."

"Oh come on…I sparkle, that's what is scary about me. I. SPARKLE! And have gravity defying hair." Danny continued.

"Danny, let it go." Jackson said slapping his friend on the back.

"Sorry," Danny said sitting back. "Derek, just to double check – no such thing?"

"Nope," Derek confirmed.

"That kinda sucks," Danny said flopping back into his seat.

"Who wants drinks?" Stiles asked. "Coke, lemonade, orange juice, water?"

"Yes!" Jackson and John said together. Stiles rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Stiles," Derek started. "Can I have-"

"Green tea," Stiles said in a sing-song voice as he left the room. "Oi, Scott, get your arse in here and help."

"Yes, Sir!" Scott said about to stand up with Jasmine stopped him.

"Scott, I'll go I want to make myself a cup of coffee."

"Okay." Scott smiled resting back and watching Harry's dream which Stiles never particularly liked, he much preferred when they got down to the actual triwizard tournament.

Stiles turned the kettle on and counted how many people were next door as Scott walked into the kitchen behind him. "Do you think we need orange juice? Lydia loves it with Chinese but she'll drink coke instead."

Scott slammed into Stiles' back and he laughed before shoving back but Scott didn't give and his hip was digging painfully into the bench. "Dude, leave off."

"You keep acting like the little omega-bitch, Stiles," Jasmine hissed into his ear making Stiles' back stiffen.

"Jasmine, can you please let me go." Stiles asked as politely as he could.

"Sure," Jasmine stepped back. "It's pathetic really." Jasmine reached up and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard above her as well as the coffee and tea.

Stiles took a deep breath. "I don't really need help. Thanks."

"But you do." Jasmine said as she spooned some coffee into her mug. "You need someone to open your eyes."

"Open them to what?" Stiles wondered if the werewolves in the other room would be able to hear them.

"Between the television and the kettle and that obnoxious whining coming from the fridge they won't be able to make us out unless they really try and I have to say I don't think you are worth enough for any of them to focus on you over that insipid movie."

Stiles sighed and plucked the tea bag Jasmine had just put in the mug and threw it back into the container. "That's Allison's tea. Derek likes the Chinese one." Stiles opened the tin and put some leaves into the individual steeper deliberately ignoring Jasmine as he worked.

"Of course he does," Jasmine said. "And of course you know."

"We live together," Stiles said stepping back from Jasmine to get the drinks out of the fridge.

"Yes," Jasmine said, following Stiles and crowding him into the open fridge. "You do, can't stand to be away from him; I bet you are his slave there too. Are you bending over for him?" Jasmine asked her face too close to Stiles' ear and her hot breath ghosting over the curve of his earlobe.

"What?" Stiles asked backing away forcibly and shoving Jasmine away in surprise. "Of course I'm not!"

Stiles grabbed the drinks and hurried from the room putting the drinks on the coffee table and then walking back into the kitchen slowly his face burning. Stiles walked straight to the cupboard and started pulling out glasses, making sure to dig into the back of the cupboard for the big plastic cups that Jackson and Lydia preferred and keeping his eyes off of Jasmine who was obviously watching him.

The kettle signalled it was done and Jasmine picked it up to pour hot water into her mug.

"No," Stiles said when she went to make Derek's. "I'll do it."

Jasmine watched him as he poured the hot water in and then stirred in some sugar letting the tea leaves steep as he checked the number of cups.

"You're obsessed with him Stiles, and eventually he's going to get sick of humouring you and kick you out of his little pack."

Stiles didn't even bother to respond; just pulled the steeper out of the mug put it on the sink and left the room his arms full of cups as well as the mug. He struggled into the lounge room and dumped the cups on Danny and Jackson before sitting down not bothering to get himself a drink. When he looked up Jasmine was staring at him, watching him as he sat there. She smirked at him as she walked over and sat down. Stiles handed Derek his tea and turned to stare at the screen.

"You make the best tea, Stiles," Derek said, jostling Stiles with his elbow until Stiles turned a smile on him, Stiles caught Jasmine's face falling as he turned to Derek. Stiles knew it shouldn't boost his mood but it did as he tuned back in to the movie just as the Drumstrang students stamped their way into the great hall. Moments later, Lydia lifted his arm around her shoulders as she handed him a drink.

"Okay, so Fleur is cute and all," Lydia said. "But she isn't as hot as she sounded in the books."

"I wouldn't kick her out of bed," Stiles said.

"You don't kick anyone out of bed, you even let Jackson crash in your bed when he comes over and he snores like a freight train." Lydia said.

"Not if you knee him in the back," Stiles grinned. "Or it you put a pillow under his back."

"You know everything about the pack don't you, Stiles." Jasmine said with a sweet voice.

"No, Derek won't tell me his birthday." Stiles answered poking Derek in the shoulder when he laughed.

"Derek doesn't like birthdays." Jasmine said looking smug.

"He loves birthdays, just not his own." Stiles said.

"He looks very fierce in a birthday hat," Lydia added.

"He has a lovely voice too, and always does the hip-hip for our hooray," Jackson said.

"I like birthdays," Derek confirmed. "But I don't celebrate my own. Hey, look, there is a movie on."

Everyone took the hint and turned to focus on the movie.

"Snape." Allison said suddenly.

"What?" Scott asked.

"I think McGonagall is sleeping with Snape." Allison clarified.

"Why?" Scott asked turning to look up at Allison.

"Jackson is right; McGonagall is one sexy lady, and I reckon Snape would go off like a cracker so why not let them get nasty together." Allison explained with a grin.

"You spend too much time with Lydia," Scott said.

"Hey!" Lydia said reaching around Allison to kick him. "I am excellent, you should be happy your girlfriend has such great taste in friends."

"No, I don't think she'd sleep with a fellow teacher, maybe someone in Hogsmeade…maybe Dumbledore's brother."

"Dumbledore's brother?" John asked.

"Yeah, the old guy who runs the Boar's Head or the Goat's Head or whatever the dodgy pub in Hogsmeade is called where they meet to set up Dumbledore's Army in the next movie," Danny explained.

"That's Dumbledore's brother…oh, that's right in the last book he helped them out contacting Dumbledore with the picture and getting them into Hogwarts. I forgot about that, it's been forever since I read those books." John said.

"Maybe she's a lesbian and has something going on with Professor Trelawney," Jackson said.

"They hate each other, they have different ideologies." Lydia reminded him before continuing forcefully. "And two people that different will never work."

"I don't believe that's true," Jasmine said her voice forceful.

"They have nothing in common; their most fundamental beliefs are completely opposite. McGonagall can barely be bothered with her at all until the war comes back," Lydia said sitting forward her eyes telling her pack that she was ready and willing for an argument.

"They are both witches, they are both teachers, they have things in common," Jasmine said her expression tightening up.

"That's like saying two werewolves should get together just because they are both werewolves. Who cares if they don't have anything in common and there is someone else who they have a lot in common with sitting right next to them," Lydia's eyes remained focussed on Jasmine and the relaxed feeling in the room turned and twisted unto something tense.

"Even if they were able to get past their differences for a sexual relationship the differences in who they are and what they believe they would never make it passed fuck buddies," Allison said agreeing with Lydia which made Jasmine's face pinch tighter.

"I think she's having sex with Hagrid," John said suddenly forcing everyone to turn to him, Lydia's eyes flicking before Jasmine's.

"She could be a size queen," Danny said quickly.

"I thought that title only applied to gay men," Jackson said. "But she could be - she could like them big and hairy."

"This is such a better castle," Stiles said running with the change of topic; he did not want this evening to turn into another werewolf fight.

"If the war with Voldemort hadn't happened and they had finished their schooling which meant there would be another Triwizard Tournament when they were legally of age do you think Harry would have put his name in again?" Scott asked.

"He didn't put his name in the first time," Stiles reminded him.

"Just answer the question, Stiles," Scott said.

"No," Stiles said. "Ron would have though."

"Ron is a little needy, another reason Hermione would have killed him if they dated." Danny said.

"Do you think it's wrong I find Draco hot?" Lydia asked.

"No," Stiles said. "He is cute."

Lydia grinned up at him. "Yeah, but it's Draco, knowing he's all damaged and doesn't want to be evil but is and is up himself and a prat. I want to break him and then hug him."

"Hmmm…I wonder why," Stiles said. "Ow, it's not my fault you just projected from your relationship with Jackson into a movie character."

"I don't want Jackson," Lydia said with a pout.

"No, you want-" Stiles grunted when Lydia's elbow connected with his stomach. "Never mind," he gasped out. "Hermione's hot; I like that she's a bookworm. I'm not surprised Krum went after her."

"Nice save, Stiles," Jackson chuckled. "And I am not damaged."

No one said anything choosing to stare at the screen instead.

/ / /

"Ron should just man up and talk to Harry," Allison said. "But, excellent, I love dragons…Derek are dragons real?"

Derek laughed. "Not as far as I know but you can hope."

"Oh, I do," Allison said with a grin.

/ / /

"Charlie is the rock star of the Weasley family," Lydia said.

/ / /

"Okay, so she should totally have snogged Harry instead of just hugging him, even Rita Skeeter can see it," Danny said flicking Jackson on the ear.

"You are hopeless," Jackson replied hitting his hand away.

"They are just awesome dude; let it go, just because you have a thing for redheads." Danny laughed.

"Hey, I resemble that comment," Lydia pouted. "Come on, wouldn't you call your broom straight away rather than waiting for the dragon to actually attack?"

"Harry is pretty and all but he's not the smartest, that's why he has Hermione," Stiles said.

/ / /

"Bulgarian BonBon!" John laughed.

/ / /

"I love Professor McGonagall so hard," Stiles said. "She is just so excellent, hard core and she missed nothing, also pretty hot for an older woman."

"I knew I should be worried about you and Mrs Kim," Derek said with a laugh.

/ / /

"Go, Neville!" Lydia and Allison said together.

/ / /

"Ron here reminds me of you when you were pining after Lydia," Scott said knocking Stiles' knee.

Stiles decided not to comment.

"You know how I like it when they walk," Scott continued changing his voice to a version of Stiles'.

"Dick," Stiles said thumping Scott on the head.

/ / /

"At the end of a ball there is always someone sitting on stairs crying, doesn't matter if you are magical or not," Monica said with a forlorn sigh. "Wow that was quite maudlin; I had a terrible senior prom." John pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead causing her to smile.

/ / /

"If Hagrid's dad was the human, how did he even **have** sex with a giant? He'd need a gigantic penis." Jackson asked his voice pensive.

"But he was a tiny little man…okay that's just impossible." Allison said trying to picture it in her head.

"Professor Snape seriously needs to get some, it would make him feel so much better," Scott said.

"See, this is why he and McGonagall should be having sex," Allison said.

"He and Madam Hooch could have something going on, some airborne sex." Monica said grinning.

"It's hard enough having sex on a motorcycle how on earth would you do it on a broomstick?" Lydia asked. "What? Stop looking at me like that!"

/ / /

"See, this is why you should just never be nice to anyone and go for what you want regardless," Jasmine said.

"But if he did that he wouldn't be Harry," Stiles said.

"And he wouldn't be the one to defeat Voldemort if he wasn't a good person," Lydia said her eyes on Jasmine.

Stiles knew this would end badly again so he changed the topic, "Is it wrong that we have spent two movies questioning the sex lives of characters in a children's book?"

"Not the children, just the adults around them. That's fine," Jackson said. "Voldemort coming back is kind of icky, he's like a white alien I keep waiting for Sigourney Weaver."

"See, he is an excellent Voldemort, all evil and psycho but I still think he'd have been a great Remus," Jackson said.

"Harry needs to step it up, he cannot fight death with the loss of a wand forever," John said. "He's going to have to toughen the fuck up."

"He is," Lydia agreed.

As Harry flew back with Cedric's dead body the doorbell rang and Stiles bounced up to collect it. "Danny, wanna grab some plates and cutlery."

"I'll help," Jackson said as they both stood and moved into the kitchen while Derek paused the movie and moved things around on the coffee table. Stiles, Danny and Jackson came back and spread the food and plates out, the pack coming to sit around the table on the floor where they could all reach, John and Monica coming down and joining them. Jasmine wrinkled her nose as she took the last spot between John and Jackson. As they finished the movie they all started eating.

Derek put the prawns from his fried rice on Stiles plate, Stiles gave his cashews and pineapple to Allison who smiled her thanks and smacked Scott away from her spring roll.

"I do love the prawns from fried rice," Jasmine said.

"They are good aren't they?" Stiles smiled as Derek found another prawn and threw it on his plate.

"Can't stand them," Derek said. "Stiles eats them for me."

"I can see that," Jasmine said.

"So what is the plan for tomorrow?" Lydia asked when everyone had been eating silently for a while.

"Let's do something," Danny said. "I swear Jackson I will hurt you if you say it."

Jackson nodded and kept eating.

"But what?" Allison asked.

"We could have a barbecue," Stiles said. "Drag out the inflatable pool, it's been hot lately."

"We could go for a drive out to the mountains and go hiking," Jasmine said quickly.

Derek shook his head. "I have a meeting with the sheriff tomorrow afternoon so it'll need to be close to town."

"You are having a meeting with Dad?" Stiles asked surprised.

"Your father is the sheriff?" John asked.

"Yeah," Stiles said still staring at Derek who was studiously avoiding looking at him.

"Then I say we drag the pool out and have a party in the backyard," Jackson said. "Stiles is right, it's been quite warm."

"We could set up the lacrosse pitch," Scott said with a smile.

"I am on Jackson's team," Stiles threw out quickly.

"You traitor," Scott said. "You desert me for him since he is on the team?"

"Yes," Stiles said without remorse. "Best bet given my skills."

"You were a good player."

"No, I was crap, I never made first string on my own merits, and if he's the one playing at university level I am on his team."

"Who said it would be his team?" Jasmine asked.

Stiles turned to her for a moment; he'd forgotten it wasn't just a normal night with his pack. That there were other people here, people who obviously did not want to slide into their routines but wanted to create their own. Stiles was determined not to say anything to Derek about Jasmine hating him and being a complete bitch, the fact that the term now had so many meanings making his lips quirk. Even though he was keeping silent for Derek he still wanted her to leave, as soon as possible and he wanted her to stop trying to change them – there was nothing wrong with his pack or how it worked.

"The team captains are always Scott and Jackson," Stiles said. "They had quite an unhealthy competition going for most of high school…well when they came into each other's lives properly."

"But we can have different captains for this game," Jackson said. "Maybe the two alphas would like to stand up and then we can just all have some fun."

"I don't know how to play lacrosse," John said.

"Neither do I," Allison said. "And yet every time we play one of these games a stick is shoved into my hands and I'm told to just make it up."

"There aren't really any rules beyond the boundary being the boundary. Apart from that it's to not maim Allison or Stiles," Danny said.

"Special rules for Stiles," Jasmine said with a smirk.

"Well, neither of them are werewolves," Derek said. "Besides, it's really for the rest of the pack's piece of mind. We don't like to see one of our own hurt especially if it's our own fault."

Stiles looked at Lydia and Scott who both still carried some guilt over injuring him when they'd been new to being werewolves and hadn't been able to control themselves. "Besides, I am the most frequent breaker of that rule," Stiles said finally. "I tend to throw myself into the game and forget that most of the players could rip me apart with their pinkies."

"Not with our pinkies," Lydia said. "I'd probably need more than just those fingers, maybe my thumb too."

Stiles laughed and threw a prawn cracker at her head before turning back to Jasmine. "Did you ever play lacrosse?"

"No," Jasmine said her eyes watching him closely.

"We'll need to spread out the people who don't know the game," Stiles said turning back to the group and grabbing the container of Szechuan Beef to dump onto his plate.

"Not leaving any for leftovers tomorrow?" Danny asked his eyes on Stiles' plate.

"Like there will be leftovers," Stiles said spooning some of the beef back into the container with a sigh and handing it over to Danny who grinned his thanks.

"So we have a basic plan for tomorrow?" Monica asked.

"It does appear that way," Stiles said. "Do you have bathers?"

"Yeah, my aunt has a pool so I packed some," Monica said.

"Then, yes, we definitely have a plan," Stiles said.

"It works for me too." Derek said. "I'm happy to have you all invade my house again. Could not think of anything better, please don't even bother to ask."

"We won't," Lydia and Stiles said together before Lydia continued. "Derek, would you prefer we all buggered off to Stiles' place again and left you alone?"

Derek looked at Stiles for a moment. "Danny, Jackson, get the meat before you come over. Allison, want to bake a pie?"

"I'll bring the stuff and make it here so it's fresh," Allison said as Jackson and Danny nodded their agreement to Derek's orders.

"I'll bring salad," Lydia said.

"Oh please tell me it's your potato salad," Stiles said throwing his arm around Lydia and pulling her close.

"Just for you," Lydia said. "And yes, Jackson, before you pout I will make coleslaw as well." Jackson smiled at her.

"I'll be really quiet and pretend to be helpful," Scott said with a smile.

"Do you want me to come early to help set up?" Stiles asked turning to Derek.

"Please."

"What time is your meeting with Dad?"

"Two."

"What's it about?"

"None of your business at this point."

Stiles glared at Derek but turned back to his plate, he'd try and weasel it out of his dad later.

Dinner passed fairly quietly after that and then John and Monica volunteered to do the dishes as everyone sat down to watch the next movie relaxed, full and mostly quiet. The credits finally rolled by and everyone moved to stand slowly.

"We're going to go," Scott said as Allison yawned into his neck again.

"Me too," Lydia standing up. "Give me a lift, Stiles?"

"Sure," Stiles said standing and stretching.

"Actually, I need Stiles to help me with something." Derek said.

"I'll take you home," Jackson said.

"What do you need, Derek?" Stiles asked.

"I'll explain when everyone is gone," Derek said.

"Oh, secrets," Lydia said. "Night, Stiles," Lydia kissed him on the cheek and went to drag Jackson up.

"Night, guys," Stiles said trailing behind the pack as they walked out of the front door.

"Come over in time for a late breakfast if you like tomorrow," Derek said.

The pack agreed and drove off all tired and ready to go home to bed.

"Well we are off to bed," Monica said. "Night, Stiles, Derek."

"Night," Derek said echoing Stiles.

"Jasmine, are you going to bed too?" John asked.

"Not tired," Jasmine said just before she yawned.

"Well, you are welcome to do what you want. Stiles and I will be in the study if you need us." Derek said leading Stiles away.

Derek and Stiles disappeared into the study, a room Derek had specifically made sound proof, leaving Jasmine alone in the entry way looking at the door they had left through and then closed firmly behind them.

**Part 10a – Fun In The Sun**

Stiles drove his jeep around the side of the house, it was early and the rest of the pack probably wouldn't be there for another couple of hours but he wanted to get the pool organised before it started to warm up. He caught sight of Derek already out the back pulling it out of the shed so Stiles bounded out of his car and headed out to Derek.

"You're early," Derek said. "Did you sort it out with Allison?"

"Yeah, it's all done," Stiles said. "I said I'd come and help set up last night."

"I know but I didn't expect you here so early, it was late when you finally left."

Stiles grabbed the end of the deflated pool and lifted it so he and Derek could carry it over to the flat section of land where they always set the pool up. Stiles could see that Derek had already raked the area.

"I woke up and Dad's at work so I figured I'd come and I knew you'd be up early."

Derek began unfolding the plastic but looked up at Stiles with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't help yourself you like to have things ready when you have people over even if it is only the pack," Stiles continued grinning at him widely.

Derek grinned. "It annoys me sometimes that you think you know me ever so well."

"And then you realise I really do and decide it's nice?"

Derek laughed. "Not how I would put it."

Stiles and Derek worked at getting the pool all laid out before they could pump it up.

"Well if we work under the assumption that I don't actually know you that well and that you can in fact deal with people coming without worrying about everything being set up before they get here it's just incredibly lucky then that I was here in time to help set up the pool."

Derek laughed and turned on the pump. "Smart arse."

Stiles craned around so he could see his own backside. "I know, right?"

Derek laughed again and moments later Jasmine came outside. "Derek, I keep hearing you laugh what's going on?"

"Done," Stiles said bouncing up from where he'd been lying on the ground to attach the pump hoses.

"Stiles, hi," Jasmine said the smile falling off her face for a moment before she let her eyes flick back to Derek the smile returning to her face.

"Stiles came over to help set up," Derek said turning the pump on.

"That's nice, I didn't think we'd see you for a while you left very late last night."

"Yeah," Stiles said. "We had a lot to discuss. Derek, I'll go and get the hose."

Derek nodded watching the pool inflate watching for any problems.

"Do you want any help, Derek?" Jasmine asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

"You said that before but you obviously have Stiles helping," Jasmine said quietly.

"He came over to help," Derek said with a shrug. "You can go back inside and keep doing whatever you were doing. No one else will be here for a while."

Jasmine nodded and started back towards the house watching as Stiles came back with the hose. "Any problems?"

"Nope, seems to be fine but we won't know until it's finished."

"So," Stiles started dropping down to sit on the ground and wait it out. "What are you meeting with my dad about?"

"Did that suddenly become your business?"

Stiles poked his tongue out at Derek. "Dad wouldn't tell me anything either."

"Because it is none of your business."

"I have this feeling it should be, I am part of the pack."

"When are you going to realise, Stiles," Derek said dropping down to sit next to the younger man. "You don't actually have to know everything that occurs."

"It's not that I have to know everything about the pack so much as I like to and generally do."

"Who said it had anything to do with the pack?"

"Hmm," Stiles said. "It is a possibility but I just don't think it could be about anything else."

Derek stretched out on the grass closing his eyes against the sun but basking in the heat soaking into his body. "Well, at this point it is none of your business and you are just going to have to accept that. Wake me when the pool is finished inflating."

"Fine," Stiles said watching the pool inflate and listening to Derek breathe next to him.

When the pool was inflated Stiles set the pump to the right setting and poured some water over the sides checking for leaks, Derek was snoring quietly now so Stiles stayed as quiet as he could until he'd finished checking the pool over before filling it with water throwing in the purification and chemical tablets. Stiles sat back down next to Derek and waited for the pool to fill up.

The pool was full and completely intact still. Derek was awake so he and John were setting up the lacrosse field. Monica was sitting behind Stiles who was cleaning off the barbecue plates as they talked about Monica and her adjustment to being a werewolf. Jasmine was inside somewhere but Stiles neither cared nor wanted her to come out.

"I don't really like eating raw meat but John and Jasmine only really hunt on the full moon and I just tend to not eat after the hunting and killing part is over," Monica said with a shrug.

"We tried hunting a couple of times. Lydia bitched so much she scared most of the game away and even when she'd let them catch something she refused to eat it and then complained about killing Bambi's mother."

Monica laughed behind him. "See, and that's the thing Disney has made it hard for us bitten werewolves."

"Walt Disney was obviously a hunter," Stiles said when he turned the gas off once the plates were clean again and ready for breakfast and lunch when the rest of the pack arrived.

"Obviously," Monica paused for a few minutes but Stiles could see that she wanted to say something so he waited sitting down across from her at the table. "Stiles, can I ask you a question. You don't have to answer it but I'm curious."

"Shoot," Stiles said figuring this would be something about his decision not to be turned.

"Has Derek offered you the bite?"

"Yeah," Stiles rubbed at his wrist remembering the press of Peter's claws. "His uncle did too before he was taken care of. At the time I think I wanted to be a werewolf but not to actually be a werewolf so much as I didn't want to lose Scott and also so I wasn't constantly excluded from the pack that was forming. When Derek finally asked me it was a while after he'd bitten Jackson and Lydia had turned. I don't think he really wanted to add more to the pack. I never asked and I suppose a part of him was waiting for me too. Jackson was surprised I didn't ask, I think he is still a little surprised I said no but it's different for him. Sorry, I tend to ramble."

"Don't worry," Monica said with a smile. "John rambles as well, I find it soothing."

Stiles grinned. "Derek asked me if I wanted to be a werewolf, we were in the middle of ripping down the last remnants of the old house before we could start rebuilding it. He'd had to come to my house for about a dozen dinners so that my dad and Melissa, Scott's mum, would let us out here to help and he turned to me and asked flat out if I wanted the bite. I wasn't paying complete attention to him and I said no without really thinking about it. Then I regretted it, I was so worried I wouldn't be able to help out the pack anymore. Scott is my brother for all intents and purposes, and Lydia was the girl of my dreams and I was part of a family again. Admittedly, a dysfunctional and somewhat violent family at that point but I hadn't really had that in that way since my mum died. Don't get me wrong I love my dad and he's amazing but things were different after my mum died. Then one day Derek was yelling at me about something stupid I'd done and he told me I was part of the pack. Over time I finally got it out of him that I was pack for life, he wouldn't kick me out, he wouldn't force the bite on me. I could be exactly what I am now and still be part of pack unless I wanted out. That was pretty much the day I stopped wanting to be a werewolf."

Monica was silent for a long time and Stiles left her to it listening to the soft rumble of noise from Derek and John and enjoyed the warm day.

"I'm really glad you found a pack that will let you be you," Monica said finally, quietly, seconds before Danny and Jackson appeared around the side of the house carrying enough meat for an army. Stiles stared at Monica for another minute. "I'm happy with my decision, Stiles," Monica said with a smile. "I'm just glad you got to make yours for you."

"Did you guys buy enough meat?" Stiles said turning to his pack mates who'd dumped the food on the table.

"See, I told you," Jackson said. "It's cool we can always get more."

Jackson grinned at Stiles who shook his head. "What did you buy?"

"That one is bacon, for breakfast," Jackson said shoving a bag at Stiles. "The rest is for lunch and dinner if we decide to stick around. I'll shove it in the fridge."

"He is incorrigible," Danny said with a sigh.

"But the butcher loves him."

"The butcher would offer him his daughter if he had one," Danny replied stealing Stiles' drink to take a long sip.

"Dude, there's more inside. None of you understand basic ownership at all."

"Packs share," Danny said with a grin.

"That was stealing," Stiles said just as Jackson came out with three mugs of coffee and placed on in front of Stiles. "Thanks."

Jackson smirked and Stiles glared daring him to say something more and ensuring the other man knew there would be consequences. Jackson kept his comments to himself and sunk down into a chair next to Monica.

"Are you cooking us breakfast, Stiles?" Jackson asked taking a sip.

"No," Stiles said watching Jackson wearily. "You know Derek likes to barbecue."

"Course, makes sense," Jackson said

"I'm missing something, aren't I?" Monica said looking between Jackson's smirk, Stiles' glare and the way that Danny's shoulders were shaking a little.

"Jackson got really drunk a month ago and has decided that it's hilarious to call me names when I cook," Stiles said throwing the tongs in front of him at Jackson's head.

"Names?" Monica asked.

"Jackson," Stiles said sweetly. "You have forgotten a few **very** important things, I can easily make you pay, I handle most of your food and you do so enjoy my potato bake."

"Oh, man," Jackson interrupted. "You made potato bake?"

"Not yet," Stiles said. "Wouldn't you prefer to know I haven't laced it with wolfsbane?" Jackson nodded. "And have you forgotten my special talent?" Jackson shook his head. "Do you enjoy digging bullets out of your arse?" Jackson shook his head. "So, the names?"

"Are going to stop," Jackson said pouting. "Though that little speech totally proves my point."

Stiles rolled his eyes at Jackson moments before Jasmine walked out from the house wearing the tiniest sundress Stiles had ever seen, a complete change from what she had been earlier today.

"Morning everyone," Jasmine said coming to sit at the table.

Jackson's eyes followed her arse as she walked past him and Stiles rolled his eyes at the sheer obviousness of Jackson's move.

"Jackson, you are so painfully obvious I want to hit you," Lydia said from behind Stiles before she dropped a kiss on the top of his head and walked inside to put her dishes in the fridge.

Derek and John had joined them by the time Scott and Allison arrived rushing around the side of the house. Allison apologised for being late as she disappeared into the house with two heavy bags of pie ingredients in her hands for the already full fridge.

"Scott, why do you have a black eye?" Danny asked.

"Walked into a door," Scott said with a shrug and even Stiles without the benefit of his extra abilities knew he was lying but unlike Derek who stood up Stiles knew when to leave Scott alone by the tone in his voice. Stiles shook his head at Derek who nodded and paused to let Stiles sort it out.

"Those bloody doors," Stiles said handing Scott his mug. "Derek the barbecue is ready for you."

Jackson coughed and Stiles levelled him with a glare. Jackson dropped his eyes and muttered an apology.

"I'm not going to ask," Derek said turning the burners on, Danny stood and helped him get ready while Lydia and Allison disappeared inside to gossip and make toast.

Stiles waited until the bacon was sizzling before slinging an arm around Jackson's shoulder and told him to go and shove the tomatoes and hash browns in the oven. Jackson went with a salute and Stiles pulled Scott out of his chair to help him check on the pool.

"What happened?" Stiles asked as soon as they were out of ear shot.

"I dropped Allison off last night and her grandfather is in town."

"Grandfather?"

"She didn't know and he isn't very impressed with me. He told Allison to get into the house and I stuck around but everything was fine. I checked on her after I got home. When I got there this morning I was early to pick her up and I heard them. Her grandfather was telling her off for disgracing the family name. I knew it was a bad idea for her to go back there but her parents kept asking. Mum said she could keep staying with us but she hates fighting with her parents so she agreed to go back. I could hear them from outside and I should have waited; I suppose."

Stiles scoffed. "No, you shouldn't. So I assume you knocked on the door and she said she was leaving with you."

"That was when her grandfather punched me and kicked me out of the house."

"I bet Allison took that really well," Stiles said looking at the now yellow bruise.

Scott grinned. "There was some very colourful language Allison used before she grabbed her bag and we left."

"How is she?"

"I hate that I'm causing so many problems and I think about breaking up with her so that things are easier and then remember the times when we have been broken up and I don't."

"She'd kick your arse," Stiles said with a grin. "And I'd help her. Silly to make everyone miserable. If she chooses to end things because of her family that's fine…sucky but her choice, but you don't get to make that decision for her."

"That's what she said."

"Great minds."

"Have you told Derek about there being another hunter in town? The full moon is coming."

"I'll talk to him today," Scott said before he titled his head and scented the air. "The bacon is ready."

"We should head back before Lydia steals all of it."

Stiles and Scott started back to the house getting there just as Derek was cracking eggs into the rings and the girls, with Monica's help, were dragging out mounds of plates, cutlery, and anything else they would need. Stiles slipped away from Scott's side as his friend went in to help Allison and he walked up to the back of the barbecue where Derek had been watching him. Derek raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything and Stiles smiled because it was fine and nothing the alpha needed to worry about. Only the new hunter was really important to the pack as a whole but that was Scott's titbit to tell. Stiles stayed while Derek flipped the eggs and pulled the rings from around them and Danny disappeared from where he'd been standing to go inside and steal hash browns like he always did when they had breakfast.

"Did you put extra ones in?" Derek asked cracking more eggs.

Stiles gave him a look he hoped expressed how silly he thought that question was.

"Right, of course you did."

"Derek, do you need some help?" Jasmine asked appearing at his side suddenly.

"Nope, almost done. Stiles can you grab the plate for the eggs?"

"I can do it," Jasmine said.

"It's cool, I know where it is," Stiles said stepping around the barbecue leaving Derek with Jasmine and her short skirt.

They sat down to breakfast and Stiles was again shocked at the sheer amount of food his pack was eating. It was obscene, it would be worse except he knew his plate looked about the same as Danny's first plate so he supposed he couldn't actually comment. The only person who ate normally was Allison who was sitting closer to Scott that normal. Other than that she seemed okay after that morning.

"Okay," John said sitting back from his empty plate. "So if I am going to be humiliated while playing lacrosse can we do it before I think of a really good excuse?"

"No excuse will be good enough," Lydia said. "I have tried them all."

"She once told us she couldn't play because she was allergic to sweat," Stiles said. "Another time she came with a forged note from her doctor telling us she wasn't allowed to play sports with flying balls."

"Laughed for an hour," Jackson threw in.

"Yes, well, you're four," Lydia said with a wicked grin. "But I agree if we get it over and done with I can change into my bathers and hang out in the pool while Stiles fetches me drinks."

Stiles laughed and grabbed her plate adding to his collection. "You wish, sweetheart."

"I don't need to," Lydia said standing up to help him.

By the time they had made it out of the kitchen with the dishwasher going behind them the group had been split into two teams and Jackson's…no…John's group was taking their shirts off with the exception of Monica and Allison who were simply pulling singlets on over their bathers.

"Stiles you're on our team," Jackson said calling him over.

Stiles swore softly under his breath, he always somehow got stuck on the skins team which was only partially depressing given he was surrounded by genetically gifted werewolves.

"Buck up, Stiles, we covered this the other night, we'd all jump you if given the chance."

Stiles rolled his eyes and shoved him over towards Derek and his team.

John handed over leadership to Jackson after the fourth whispered suggestion while John had been trying to give them instructions.

Their first game went spectacularly John's team's way when Stiles and Jackson knocked Scott over before making a mad dash for the goals. Jasmine went for the save but the ball flew past her and she glared at Stiles who'd made the shot. After that it became a fight between Stiles and Scott, Scott was obviously at an advantage but Stiles maintained that he was scrappy and a more epic tussle between Jackson and Danny who were much more evenly matched. Danny should have been goalie but they had decided a long time ago that even if there was a disadvantage on the field it was better than a disadvantage in the goals. Derek had become pretty good over the years of these fun games but he was spending more time explaining what to do to Monica and Jasmine that he did trying to play. John had asked Jackson how he could be the most use and was deploying his superior strength in knocking either Danny or Scott on their arse.

Jackson's team won the first game 10 to 2 before Derek's team was able to come up with a strategy but Stiles didn't like the glint in Lydia's eye as they huddled back together before their second game.

Things turned to crap not long after the beginning of the second game when Derek took a run at Jackson and flying tackled him. Derek kept him on the ground while Lydia and Danny ran for the other end of the field and Scott kept Stiles busy. Lydia flashed Jackson during the second play causing him to miss the catch and causing Stiles to laugh so hard at Jackson's indignation he fall over allowing Jasmine to make the next shot against Allison who made a valiant effort to stop the ball but in the end failed. Jackson smacked Stiles upside the head when they came back together for a quick meeting but Stiles continued to smirk at him. Stiles kicked him in retaliation before they tried to come up with a strategy though Stiles knew if Lydia was behind this they would have no hope of coming up with a suitable defence because she would not use the same diversionary tactic twice. Stiles even knew where the flashing idea had come from and he tried to think about the other movies they'd seen recently. Damn their Heath Ledger retrospective.

The rest of the second game went in much the same way. At one point Scott and Lydia tackled John to the ground tickling him which caused Monica to come to his aid allowing Danny and Derek to take out Stiles and Jackson before Jasmine again ran out of the goals and sent the ball past Allison again. By the end of the game Jackson's team had clawed back three points while Lydia's team…no one argued with the fact she had usurped power from Derek unceremoniously…crowed over their victory.

They decided to call it even at two games, one a piece.

"You are just scared that it will get back to your coach that you were bested by a girl and her…girls," Lydia said hooking an arm through Jackson's elbow.

"That has nothing to do with it," Jackson said. "You were cheating."

Lydia shrugged. "You and Scott are the ones that decided there were no rules, I'm just taking advantage."

"And doing so beautifully," Stiles said with a grin. "Buck up, Jackson, I'll make two potato bakes to make you feel better."

"I'll come and do my crusts while you're doing that," Allison said skipping over to him and leaving everyone else to grab drinks and head to the pool to cool down.

Stiles had just finished peeling all his potatoes when Allison started. "Scott told you about this morning?"

"Yeah, with your grandfather, are you okay?"

Allison bit her lip. "I get it, I saw Peter and the other werewolves we've met who aren't like Derek, who aren't like Scott but I don't understand how they can't see that this pack is different."

"They've been fighting werewolves their whole lives and I've read a lot of the literature. Some of them are bad, bad people who deserved to be hunted down. Peter looked tame in comparison. I'm not making excuses for them but they are fighting a lot of ingrained prejudices."

"I have tried to be understanding but it's been years, Stiles, years!"

"I know," Stiles stopped and pulled Allison into a hug, she slumped against him. "You deserve better."

"I'm worried that Scott is going to turn noble."

"He is too scared of being without you to break up with you and if he makes that decision for the both of you I'll hold him while you beat him."

Allison laughed against him before stealing her spine and pulling away. "I'd pin him against a wall with arrows laced in wolfsbane."

Stiles laughed. "At least you have a plan."

"It's fine when I'm away because they just want to know about school and what I'm doing and when they come to visit Scott isn't around but when we're here it's like I could be a heroin addicted prostitute and they'd be more happy with my life choices."

"You would be one of those high class ones that cause scandals with politicians and actors."

"Oh, thank you, Stiles," Allison said balling up her dough ready for the fridge.

"Anytime."

"I just want them to see him for who he is."

"I know," Stiles rested his hip against the counter with the pot full of potatoes cooking behind him.

"I am the daughter of a hunter, I helped kill Derek's uncle, my aunt murdered his family and yet you have accepted me into your pack."

"It took Derek a while."

"I know," Allison started cleaning up, her movements forceful. "But he judged me for me, on my own actions not on what I was born into or who my family is. Werewolves, who I keep being told are no better than animals, act with more compassion than my own family."

"I'm so sorry, Allison. What can I do?"

"Listening to me is good, I like talking to Scott about things but I worry when it's about my family. You are the only other human in a wolf pack I know."

"I'm here all week."

Allison laughed. "I'm going to be fine but I might take you up on that."

"Anytime, Allison," Stiles pulled her into a hug pressed a kiss to her forehead and lead her outside the timer in his hand.

"You trying to make time with my girl, Stilinski?" Scott screamed out from the pool.

"Not trying, Scott, she and I have something to tell you."

Scott laughed at him as Allison and Stiles climbed into the pool where the pack and Derek's guests were lounging after their game.

**Part 10b – Drawing A Line In The Sand**

Stiles sunk into the pool between Jackson and Danny, making sure to kick Jackson, who was still pouting about losing the second game, on the way down.

"I promise to put extra bacon in the second potato bake, okay?"

Jackson bit down on his smile before turning to Stiles and shrugged. "I suppose."

"You are so easy," Stiles said throwing his wrist with waterproof dressing over the edge of the pool to try and keep it dry.

"That's what all the girls say," Danny chipped in from his other side.

Jackson rolled his eyes but smiled at Stiles. "Extra cheese on top too?"

"Fine."

"See this is why he calls you those names," Danny said, splashing Stiles.

Lydia turned and floated on her back over to Stiles before she made herself comfortable in his lap. "Why does Jackson get treats when I won the game?"

Jackson huffed and swam to the other side of the pool where Derek, Jasmine, and John were having a conversation about New York.

"You know that wasn't very nice," Stiles said pinching Lydia's waist. She flinched away from him and landed a sharp jab with her elbow between two of his ribs. "Hey!"

"Lydia, don't bruise Stiles." Derek reminded her.

"Alpha's favourite," Lydia muttered under her breath while Stiles beamed at her.

Lydia slid off his lap onto the spot next to him that Jackson had vacated.

"So I was thinking," Lydia started. "Derek is going to see your dad this afternoon so you and I go see a movie."

"Something stupid?"

"I was thinking something what would get us mercilessly mocked by everyone else."

"Excellent," Stiles agreed with glee.

"Does that mean we have to leave when Derek goes to his meeting?" Danny asked them pushing down on Stiles' shoulder so he could see Lydia. She shrugged her answer so he let go of Stiles to turn to his alpha. "Hey, Derek, do we have to leave when you go to your super-secret meeting with the Sheriff?"

Derek turned from him conversation to look at Danny, his eyes flicked over to Stiles for a moment before going back to Danny. "Do you ever leave my house?"

Danny thought about it for a moment. "Not normally."

"In fact my house has been absurdly, bizarrely quiet since we came home."

"That's because of the evil whore," Lydia muttered into the skin behind Stiles' ear causing a full body shudder that made Derek's eyes snap back to him.

"We've been spending time with our families," Stiles said, the skin behind his ear still tingling while Derek frowned at him. "Sudden breeze," he said in explanation.

"The sheer force of my sexuality you mean?" Lydia whispered.

Derek growled. "Lydia, I can hear you."

She pulled away from Stiles and grinned at him. "I know, darling."

Stiles bit down on his lip but was saved from having to say anything by the timer going off behind him. With a grin he stood and swam over to the steps to get out. He threw a smile at Derek who was looking at him strangely before he grabbed the timer and went back towards the house wrapping himself in a towel. Stiles dried off and threw his top back on before he went inside and checked the potatoes. They were ready so he turned them off and started making his potato bake. Jackson came through the door just as Stiles had started the second dish. He stepped too close and gave Stiles a hug making his entire back wet.

"Jackson!"

"What?" Jackson asked his voice full of fake innocence before it turned annoyed. "There's nothing to steal yet?"

"You cannot be hungry already," Stiles said stepping away from Jackson his back now both cold and wet.

"I'm always hungry," Jackson said grabbing an apple. "We are starting a game of pool volleyball and the teams are uneven. When are you going to be done?"

Stiles started slicing the next potato. "I'll come out when I'm done."

"Stiles," Jackson whined. "Can you hurry?"

"I can just make one instead of two."

"You just take your time, Stiles," Jackson said. "We'll make do until you're done."

"That's what I thought," the door behind them opened again but Stiles didn't bother to turn around.

"You are cooking again, Stiles?" Jasmine asked from behind him and Stiles sighed while Jackson pressed closer to his side. "How typical."

"What does that mean?" Jackson said before Stiles had a chance.

"Don't worry about it," Stiles said quietly to Jackson who was glaring at Jasmine.

"All I mean," Jasmine said. "Is that Stiles is so often in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, doing so much for Derek's pack."

"We're all pack we look after each other."

"That's what a pack does," Jasmine agreed. "So lucky that Derek found someone so willing to look after a pack when he's not a werewolf."

Stiles grabbed Jackson's forearm holding onto him tightly.

"I cannot wait to taste your cooking, Stiles," she said in a sweet voice.

"Thank you, Jasmine, I hope it is as good as **my pack** has made it out to be."

"It will be," Jackson said.

"I'm sure, well I had best get back out there. Derek and I were having the most interesting chat about Berkeley. Maybe I'll come out and visit him sometime."

"Sounds lovely," Stiles said dropping his head down and cutting more potatoes viciously. He kept going until he heard the door close behind him again.

"If she comes to visit you Lydia will rip her limb from limb," Jackson said.

"If she comes to visit Lydia will do nothing of the sort. I'll deal with it and it will be fine. She is a bitch but sticks and stones and all the rest."

Jackson huffed. "She is a bitch."

Stiles dropped the knife and turned to Jackson. "You shouldn't let her get to you; she wants you to disagree with her. Nothing she says is particularly evil or wrong I do spend a lot of time cooking."

"And we appreciate it. Danny and I pray and hope that one day you'll decide to transfer to us."

Stiles laughed and shoved Jackson with his hip.

"You shouldn't let her get away with treating you like a servant," Jackson said turning serious again.

"Coming from the man who thinks it's hilarious to call me Mummy when I cook."

"I would call you Daddy but Derek would get offended."

"Elizabeth has two daddies," Stiles said in a sing-song voice.

Jackson laughed. "You wish, Stiles."

Stiles coloured and elbowed Jackson catching him before the werewolf was able to dance away. Jackson laughed as he went out the door reminding Stiles to hurry up for their game. Stiles took a couple of deep breaths and went back to his cooking.

When he came out of the house, Jackson was trying to hold Danny under the water while Allison threw the ball at his head. Stiles laughed and threw his t-shirt over one of the chairs around the pool while Danny twisted and turned and shoved Jackson under the water, Allison catching his legs to keep him down.

"So what's happening?" Stiles asked getting into the pool.

"Jackson and Danny had a disagreement about whose fault it was that they lost the last point," Derek said rolling his eyes at his betas. "You're on my team."

"They seriously thought it would be a good idea to put you, me and Lydia on a team together."

Derek grinned at him. "Silly people."

"How much are we up?"

"Two points," Lydia said floating on her back. "But that is more due to Jackson and Danny's epic unresolved sexual needs than the fact we were a person down."

"I wouldn't have sex with him if he asked nicely," Danny called out before Jackson surged out of the water and sucker punched him in the gut.

"Like I would have sex with you either."

"I never ever said the two of you should have sex with one another but if that ever happens. I want details and pictures."

"Lydia," Stiles sighed. "You worry me - so very much sometimes."

She beamed back at him and dropped her voice to continue. "I just want to know if he has the same sex face when he's being fucked as when he's doing the…what?" Everyone was staring at her. "Fine, no more discussion of sex lives though it's not my fault everyone has super hearing."

Allison's comment that she doesn't have super hearing and had no problem hearing what Lydia said was drowned out by Jackson's indignant question about why Danny would be on top.

"Thank you," Derek said pointing at Danny and Jackson in turn. "Both of you quit it and let's keep playing. Stiles is back."

"I suddenly see a problem," Scott said from where he and John had been staying out of their teammates' ways while they fought."

"Well then, you really should have been paying attention earlier," Lydia said with an evil smirk.

"Ah fuck!" Jackson and Danny said together.

As expected Derek, Lydia, and Stiles with some help from Monica, who mainly stayed out of the way and laughed at the other team's annoyance, managed to dominant the game. Scott, Jackson, and Danny who were too competitive within their own team to do well became more and more annoyed the larger the points difference became. As well as refusing to listen to Allison who, unlike Lydia, refrained from using violence to ensure attention was being paid to her.

Lydia and Allison declared this to be the last point as both needed to go into the house and sort out the salad and pie.

John served the ball and it landed in the perfect spot for Derek to hit it up into the air. Unfortunately both Lydia and Stiles went for the final hit across the net and in a move considered both spectacular and horrific on recount Stiles felt something in front of his foot just before he tripped and fell connecting with Lydia's knee as she attempted to get the ball. Stiles' head snapped back and his nose exploded in pain and he fell forward into the water. Something heavy landed on his back forcing all the air out of his lungs. The weight was suddenly yanked off before Stiles was gripped by the shoulders and pulled out of the water.

"Are you okay?"

Stiles blinked, his vision swimming as tears streamed down his face.

"Stiles."

"Stiles, talk to me."

"Crap, that's a lot of blood."

Stiles shook himself out of the hands of whoever was holding him and stood on his own two feet breathing deeply while he tried to focus on the group standing in front of him. They all looked worried except for Jasmine who was scowling at him holding her arm close to her body.

"Okay," Monica said stepping to the front of the group. "Stop hovering. Step back, and let me have a look."

"Why?" Derek asked putting himself between Monica and Stiles.

"I'm a doctor, I'll have a look and we'll see what to do from there."

Derek growled at her as she took a step forward. She stepped back in response.

"Derek," Stiles reached out and touched Derek gently between his shoulder blades.

Derek spun and grabbed Stiles by his elbows again. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, but I think Monica should have a look at it." Derek growled. "Relax and help me out of the water; my eyes keep watering."

Derek pulled him close and wrapped an arm around his waist, helping him to the side of the pool and to the stairs. Stiles grabbed the bar and started up the stairs blood still pouring out of his nose and down his chest. Derek pushed him into a chair and dropped down into a crouch in front of him. Stiles blinked his eyes and reached out for a towel to wipe them careful to miss his nose before he rubbed at his chest. When Stiles opened his eyes again his pack was standing behind Derek watching him closely.

"Derek, you're going to need to move out of the way so Monica can look at my nose."

"You sound funny," Scott informed him watching him closely.

Stiles smiled at him; happy that things couldn't be too bad if Scott could joke with him. Derek didn't move. "Derek."

Derek stood and stepped to the side giving Monica only enough space to step up in front of Stiles.

"Okay, Stiles," Monica said smiling at him. "I'm going to need to feel your nose, okay?"

"Alright, this is going to hurt right?"

"Yeah," Monica said. "Do you guys have a first aid kit? And gloves?"

"I'll get them," Lydia said rushing off towards the house.

The timer went off in the chair beside Derek. Stiles looked to Allison. "Will you check the potato bake and if it's brown pull it out?"

"I can do it," Jackson offered.

"No, you cannot. You'll eat it."

Jackson nodded and stood back giving Stiles a view of Jasmine who was still holding her arm against her body.

"Are you okay, Jasmine?" Stiles asked.

"Jasmine fell down with you," Scott said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then Derek pulled her off you," Danny said his eyes flashing green telling Stiles that Derek had been at least a little wolfed out and forceful. Which explained Jasmine's less than pleased expression as Derek continued to hover protectively at his side like he did whenever a member of the pack was hurt and the danger had passed.

Lydia came back out handing Monica the first aid kit. She pulled the gloves out and on before turning to Stiles and dropping down in front of him.

"Ready?"

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes while Monica pressed her fingers into his cheekbones. She moved her fingers in until they touched skin that made Stiles hiss. He heard a low rumbling growl from Derek in response. Monica continued her exploration, more tears stinging Stiles' eyes with the pain coming from his nose. Finally after what felt like forever Monica pulled her hands away from his face.

"Jackson can you go and fill a ziplock bag with ice and bring it back with a tea towel?"

"Sure," Jackson said bounding away.

Stiles opened his eyes slowly and pulled the towel back up to rub at his eyes.

"It's broken but you're lucky there is no damage to your cheekbones which given that Lydia is a werewolf was a definite possibility, you seem to have hit the knee very cleanly. Your nose is a little out of place. I can fix it but it's going to hurt. A lot," Monica's eyes flicked to Derek who was towering over her. "It's better if I do it before it starts swelling, you're lucky I was here once the swelling sets in they can't set the break."

Stiles took a deep breath in through his mouth and nodded. "Do it."

"Derek," Monica turned to the alpha and took a deep breath. "Go for a walk."

"What?" The word came out more growl than question and Stiles had to give Monica kudos for not flinching.

"You're hovering and putting me off. This is going to be bad enough without you growling in my ear so take a walk."

"Come on," Danny said as he and Lydia grabbed Derek's shoulders and turned him around to walk him towards the woods. "Let's go for a walk."

Monica turned back when Derek was out of sight and pulled a chair in front of Stiles. "Take a deep breath," she said her fingers soft on his nose with her other hand on the back of his head. "1, 2 and," she flicked her wrist and Stiles' head exploded in pain again. "Done."

"Fuckity fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," Stiles grunted. Moments later there was an answering growl from the woods where Derek had disappeared.

Scott was laughing at him. "Seriously, that is the best swearing you could do?"

"In pain here, Scott."

"You'll live."

"He certainly will," Monica said feeling his nose again to check the alignment before pulling out a bit of tape and pressing it gently to his nose to keep it in place. "Okay, you put ice on for fifteen, off for fifteen, repeat. You need to keep your head elevated when you're in bed, above your heart to keep the swelling down." Jackson handed over the ice pack. "If the bleeding hasn't stopped in the next ten minutes we should go into the hospital in case but unless that happens, or you develop a bad headache, you should be okay."

"Thanks," Stiles said pressing the ice to his nose.

Monica pulled her gloves off and tucked them into the towel Stiles had used to mop up the blood.

"I should wash the blood off huh?" Stiles said looking down at himself.

"It would be a good idea," Monica said. "You cannot go into the pool again today."

"I think the general presence of blood in the pool would encourage us all to stay out," Jasmine said.

"Come on, Stiles," Scott said coming over and pulling him up. "Let's go and get the blood off you."

"My change of clothes is in my car."

"I'll get it," Jackson said following them.

"Jasmine, do you want me to look at your arm?" Monica asked turning to her.

"No," she said with a sneer. "Even if there was a problem it's already healing since everyone was so worried about Stiles' nose."

"Jasmine, he was bleeding profusely." John reminded her.

Stiles washed the blood off and by the time he was out of the shower his nose had stopped bleeding. Jackson had left his clothes on the sink next to the ice pack. When he made it out of the bathroom Derek was pacing in front of the door.

Derek span when the door opened. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Stiles said his voice a little strange now that his nose was swelling regardless of the ice pack covering it. "At least now I'm not all covered in blood."

"Lydia is worried about you, she feels bad," Derek said grabbing Stiles' face in his hands so he could see his nose. Stiles pulled the ice pack away to allow him to see properly. "It's started bruising."

"And swelling."

"Is it just your nose?"

"My knee is a little sore from falling on it but other than that I'm fine."

"Jasmine didn't hurt you when she fell on you?"

"Don't think so, was she going for the ball too?"

"I think so," Derek let go of Stiles' face so he could put the ice pack back and they went downstairs. "You're going to stick around until you dad is home, right? So we can keep an eye on you."

"I'm going to be fine."

"Rethink your answer, Stiles," Derek muttered gruffly.

"Of course I am going to stay until my dad is home."

Derek smiled at him and they made their way to the kitchen where Lydia was busy fiddling with her salads while Allison smacked Danny on the arm when he tried to steal the fillings for her pies.

Lydia span as they entered the room and stepped over to Stiles. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry about your nose."

"It's all good? If you were that annoyed about the fact I wasn't making you something special you could have just said something."

Lydia laughed and pulled him into a hug. "Sorry," she whispered into his neck.

"Not your fault, I tripped or slipped or whatever. You know me."

Lydia pulled away and with a smile went back to her salads. Derek pressed a hand to the middle of Stiles' back and pushed him out of the kitchen and outside to sit at the table. Danny put a drink down in front of Stiles.

"Am I allowed to eat, Monica?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah, then you can have some pain medication."

"Good deal." Stiles rested back the ice still pressed to his nose which had started throbbing since his shower.

Derek turned the barbecue on; his eye still on Stiles. "You are not to do anything."

"I can deal with that," Stiles said. "Also for my present I think I would like a pony."

"Your present?" Jasmine asked from the other end of the table.

"When one of us gets hurt Derek buys them a present to make them feel better," Lydia said, putting down her salad. "We're keeping the potato bake on warm."

"I'll come and check it," Stiles said standing. He hadn't made it more than two inches off the chair when there was a forceful hand on his shoulder.

"No, you won't," Lydia said. "We've got it under control. I'm thinking I'll hit the video store and we can have an 80s teen movie marathon instead."

"I'm in," Allison said' sitting in Scott's lap her fingers running over the skin around his eye. The completely healed skin.

"Oh, that sounds great," Scott said dropping his head onto Allison's arm with a sigh.

"We'll do it here," Derek said pointing to Jackson. "You can go and buy snacks while I'm out."

"Why me?"

"Because Stiles is not allowed to run errands," Jasmine said walking away from the table and into the house.

"I'll go with you," Lydia said following Jasmine into the house. "We'll get the movies as well."

"We have some," Scott said. "Mum loves John Hughes movies."

"Then you'll get them too."

"And I shall sit on the couch like a King while my serfs do my bidding," Stiles said trying to work out how to drink with the ice on his nose.

"I'll find some palm fronds," Monica threw in. "Lydia, can I help with anything?"

"Nope," Lydia said. "We're pretty much done. Just waiting for Derek to cook the meat."

"Pies are in the oven," Allison said.

"Buns are cut," Danny said coming outside with the covered bowl.

"Salads are made and potato bake is keeping warm," Lydia said. "So really we are just being let down by our alpha."

"I can kick you out of my pack," Derek threw over his shoulder.

"I'm going to go and get changed then," Allison said.

"Me too," Lydia said as they both disappeared into the house.

"And I'm assuming you four are just going to continue to strut around shirtless like a batch of swimsuit models." Stiles said snarkily while Jackson and Danny grinned at him.

"I know you only wanted me for my body," Jackson said flexing.

"Ow," Stiles groaned. "Don't make me laugh it hurts."

"Sorry," Jackson said not looking at all apologetic until Derek caught his eye and he bowed his head with a grimace. "I came with enough meat for dinner," he said in apology.

"It's fine, Jackson, don't stress," Stiles said watching the tense lines of Derek's back. "You know how Derek gets when one of us gets hurt."

Jackson muttered something Stiles couldn't hear and refused to repeat it regardless of how nicely Stiles threatened.

Derek started plating the steaks while Danny and Lydia brought the last of the food from inside. Like breakfast Stiles was baffled at the sheer amount of food on the table.

Even though Stiles knew there was nothing wrong with anything but his nose his entire face now felt like a giant throbbing ache so he plated up some of his potato bake, some of Lydia's coleslaw and potato salad, anything that he didn't need to put any effort into chewing. When Stiles looked up Derek was watching him closely his eyes tight and questioning.

"My face hurts," Stiles muttered eating some hot, creamy potato while Derek continued to watch him instead of piling his own plate. "Eat."

Derek huffed but started filling his plate before sitting next to Stiles.

After they'd eaten Monica went inside and came back with a couple of pills and a glass of water.

"This is the good stuff which is why you needed to eat first," Monica said. "It will make you a little loopy."

"Loopy like I'm going to hit on Jackson or loopy like I'm going to see dead people who don't know they're dead?"

Monica laughed. "Probably just loopy in staring blankly and napping but I won't rule anything out."

"You can hit on me," Lydia said with a grin.

"I don't need the pills for that though."

"Hey!" Jackson said throwing a roll before he thought. Derek reached out and plucked it from the air in front of Stiles' head with a low, fierce growl. "Sorry, Stiles, I forgot."

"All good," Stiles said dragging the roll out of Derek's hand and pushing him back into his chair. Stiles threw the roll back to Jackson with a smile.

Derek sent Danny and Scott inside with the dirty dishes and told Jackson to put the food away. All three jumped up to do his bidding while Stiles asked Monica about her residency. He hadn't realised she was a doctor until today.

"I'm doing my residency in obstetrics and I'm two years in," Monica said. "I love it, all the little babies. I had some difficulty after the bite I was terrified I'd accidently squash something but I adjusted quite well."

"So," Allison said looking back at the door. "Childbirth, how horrid is it?"

Monica laughed. "It really depends on the person but I have yet to see a mum who doesn't think it was worth it when they are holding their baby. I'm sure there are some but I haven't seen it yet."

Allison nodded and continued loudly when Scott came back out of the door. "How did you learn to set noses?"

Monica bit down on her bottom lip and grinned while she answered. "I had a rotation in the ER as part of my internship, I really enjoyed it but then I got to the obstetrics rotation and I was decided. If I had had to leave this residency I'd have gone back to the ER."

"I thank you for your love of people hurting themselves," Stiles said finding it much easier to drink without the ice pack on his face.

Monica came over to have a look at his face again. "Oh, it's going to swell beautifully and you are probably going to have a couple of stunningly black eyes."

"Oh the wonders of being human," Stiles said before patting his pockets. "I need to call my dad. Do you have your mobile, Derek?"

Derek, who was still shirtless and wearing his bathers, shook his head.

"Are you going to growl at me if I go inside and find mine?"

Derek glared at him before Stiles stood and went inside completely ignoring Scott and Danny who were stacking the dirty dishes on the bench and Jackson who was shoving the food into the fridge with no thought to the size of the dishes or whether his tower of plates would fall. Stiles knew he'd fix it when everyone disappeared later. That was of course assuming that Derek didn't force them to fix it before he went to meet Stiles' dad.

Stiles found his phone in his bag sitting at the end of the bed in the room he'd claimed when they'd rebuilt the house. He shared a wall with Derek's room and one with Lydia's. He left the rest of his stuff on the edge of the bed and went downstairs to the sit on the couch while he called his dad.

"Hey, Dad. No, I'm good but umm... Dad, I'm fine. Okay so I'm not completely fine. Lydia beat me up and I've got a broken nose. No, we were playing volleyball in the pool and I slipped and bashed my head on her knee. No, one of Derek's guests is a doctor and she put it back in place. No, she gave me good drugs too. Derek is making me stay until you are home at least. I'll be home later. Yeah, give me a call when you get home. No, he'll insist. He's all growly and protective. Yes, he is still coming. What is the meeting about? Of course it's my business, everything is. Dad stop laughing. Fine, fine. I'll see you later. Bye, Dad."

Stiles hung up and slumped back into the chair. He could feel the medication working. He didn't want to move, he just wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep for a little while. Maybe he'd go up to his bed and go to sleep. Stiles closed his eyes and relaxed. The couch dipped next to him but Stiles couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.

"You need to put the ice on," Derek said next to him.

Stiles lifted a hand and Derek gently placed the ice on his nose before Stiles held it in place. "So tired."

"Go upstairs and lay down."

Stiles shook his head. "Comfortable here."

"Well then just relax," Derek said not moving.

Stiles nodded slowly and let himself float for a while. Later, much later, he felt the couch shift again and Derek quietly told him he was going to his meeting with the sheriff. Stiles waved him away tiredly after Derek had pried the ice out of his hand. Stiles stayed there while Lydia and Jackson came in to tell him that they were leaving moments before Scott and Allison went as well. Danny came in with a book and sat with Stiles who had given up all pretence of sitting and was propped up on some cushions lying out on the couch.

Sometime later Stiles woke up and needed a drink. He pulled himself up from the chair to find Danny no longer sitting where he had been before. Stiles stretched out and grabbed the bag of water from the table taking it into the kitchen with him. The dishes had been put in the dishwasher that seemed louder to him than it normally was. He checked the fridge and Jackson's gravity defying packing was still in place. Stiles pulled everything out making himself another plate of his potato bake and throwing it into the microwave. Stiles restacked the fridge giving them a lot more space than they'd had before and lowering the chances of someone being crushed by the plates as they opened the door.

"You're awake," Jasmine said from the kitchen doorway.

"I am," Stiles said putting some of Lydia's amazing coleslaw on his plate as well before tucking it back into the fridge with the rest of the food. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket and sent Derek a message asking him to get more bread so they could have some with dinner. "Do you know where Danny is?"

"He is showing Monica and John the lake. They wanted to go for a walk and Danny was nice enough to suggest it and show them where it was. Apparently, it's a great walk."

Stiles nodded as his phone beeped. "It is a lovely walk." Derek had replied that he would get the bread and then told Stiles off for having opened the fridge door. Stiles pulled a glass down from the cupboard to get a drink; his back to Jasmine.

"I've been watching you, Stiles." Jasmine said coming in close and talking from just behind him. "You're in love with him, silly little human." She ran a finger down Stiles' neck making him jerk away.

Stiles knew he was alone in the house and his discomfort settled around him like a blanket but she had done nothing but insult him and ridicule him so he turned to face her with a deep breath. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You get hard every time he is close. I can smell the lust all over you. It's pathetic, and you know he can smell it too. He's a werewolf. He can smell your need coming off you in waves and has he ever made a move?"

Stiles refused to answer, tried to steady his racing heart beat. He pushed the thought of Derek smelling the arousal Stiles felt whenever he was near the werewolf out of his mind - or tried. He tried to ignore the sick feeling the idea that Derek might know gave him.

"He likes women you know, we used to date. I used to ride him for hours. Werewolves have amazing stamina. Why would he want a human when he could fuck a werewolf?"

"I am not interested in him like that."

"Yes you are. Your eyes track him, you get him things because you know he will want them even if he doesn't already and he's just using you. His little deluded omega who cooks and cleans and begs to be fucked but is happy just to moon over him. Why on earth would he want you? You're scrawny." She grabbed his arm in a tight hold making him almost gasp but he bit down hard on his lip to keep it in. "You are sick, I can smell the medication all over you. You have done your research, haven't you, Stiles? Even if he wanted to fuck a guy he'd pick someone healthy. Alphas only mate with the strongest, healthiest person. Survival of the fittest and you are not the fittest. He's probably pick Lydia of any of your little pathetic pack. She's strong and tough, I bet he'd love to bend her over and fuck her, I bet he's thought about it too. Maybe he already is and is hiding it from you. To keep you in here, in his kitchen fetching drinks for everyone while he sits out there and does nothing."

"I am not in love with Derek." Stiles said swallowing thickly.

"I can hear your heartbeat, Stiles. You are a shit liar, but then again I've yet to see anything you are good at."

Stiles stood just a little straighter and looked Jasmine in the eye. "You think he'd prefer to come back to you?"

"You have no idea what we had."

"If he wanted you why aren't you in his bed now?"

"I'm not an easy fuck, Stiles, unlike you. When he and I mate again I will be a part of his pack and trust me you will be a thing of the past and those little betas will learn how to act like real werewolves. They will hunt and eat as they should. They will bath in the glory of being a werewolf and they will stop looking to you like you are anything but a pathetic human trying so hard to be part of a world where you do not belong."

"I am part of this pack."

"Really?" Jasmine asked grabbing his wrist and yanking it around until he could see his tattoo. "Because of this?"

Stiles was silent looking at Derek's mark on his wrist. Jasmine's fingers tightened around his upper arm pulling his eyes back to hers.

"Did Derek give it to you? Did Derek ask you to bear his mark or did you decide to do it yourself? Did you push yourself into his pack with the delusion that he wants you here? That if you just keep waiting he'll drag you up to his room and devour you. Lay you out on his bed and make you feel good. Has he ever, ever made you think he'd want you? I cannot see it, I've been watching him and you are nothing to him, nothing of worth, not even worth a cheap fuck."

"I think of the two of us you were the cheap fuck, scratching an itch under the full moon." Stiles said, his patience snapping.

Jasmine yanked his arm making him yelp in pain. "If you think that then why hasn't he bent you over and used you like the piece of easy arse you are. After all what good are you? Cook, clean, and fuck is about all you're worth but you're not good enough for him to fuck."

Stiles took a steading breath and asked politely. "Let me go."

Jasmine sneered but then cocked her head. "I'll be sure to check it out, Stiles." She said brightly with a smile and walked out, Jackson coming in from the other direction.

"Stiles, dude, you're up." Jackson smiled then paused. "You okay?"

"Fine. I suddenly need to go to the bathroom desperately. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Before Jackson could even agree Stiles was past him and through the house to the bathroom, Jackson didn't even think about the fact he'd gone to the upstairs one until Lydia came into the kitchen behind him.

"Where is Stiles?" Lydia asked dumping her bags on the kitchen table. "I saw Jasmine and she looked annoyed."

"Fuck," Jackson said. "She was in here with Stiles when I came in."

Lydia twisted and headed out of the room following Stiles' scent.

Stiles was walking down the stairs when she was about to walk up looking for him. He looked okay but there was something around his mouth that made her want to wrap him in her arms and hold him until Jasmine left. Stiles quirked his lips at her and continued down.

Lydia opened her mouth to say something just as the door opened behind her and Scott and Allison came stomping in laughing about something. Danny, Monica, and John coming in from the other direction making just as much noise.

Monica looked at Stiles then down at her watch. "Time for more medication, you need to eat something first."

"I-"

"Here," Jackson said coming into the room. "You'd already made a plate."

Stiles reached for the plate but Jackson shook his head and pointed back to the living room.

"Can you get him some more ice too?" Monica asked following Stiles.

Stiles had just sat down and taken his first bite when the door opened again and Derek walked in bypassing all of his pack to come into the lounge room and sit next to Stiles.

"You don't look good. What did you do?"

"I made sure the fridge wouldn't collapse," Stiles said chewing his food slowly not at all hungry anymore.

"He'll be fine," Monica said. "Once he's eaten I'll give him another pill."

Derek nodded but didn't move watching Stiles eat every bite as the rest of the pack settling around them. Lydia watched him closely but Stiles just smiled at her after swallowing the tablet and got comfortable with the ice pack. Stiles fell asleep halfway through 'The Breakfast Club' and woke up just in time to see Ferris sing but he dozed again between running the car backwards and Baby falling in love with Johnny.

"We are going to have another training session tomorrow." Derek said before anyone left. "You'll all be here tomorrow at 9?" Derek's eyes were looking around the room. Everyone nodded.

"I'll stay home and nurse my nose," Stiles said yawning.

"You can't drive," Derek said.

"I'll drive him," Scott said pulling Stiles' keys from his pocket before the other man could react.

"Take this in the morning but only after food," Monica said handing him one last tablet.

Stiles nodded and tucked the pill into his pocket. "We still on for our discussion from yesterday?"

"I don't know," Derek said watching him closely. "What do you think?"

"Should be fine but I'll call you."

Derek nodded with a frown.

"We'd better go." Stiles said with another yawn heading out of the door.

"I'll walk you to the car." Derek said falling into step beside Stiles.

"Goodbye, guys," Stiles said the rest of the pack echoing him.

"'Night, Stiles." Jasmine said watching them both as they left the room.

Derek saw him to the car and told Scott to call when he got home and to make sure Stiles got in and that the Sheriff was there.

"And tomorrow I shall make myself a dress of silk and wait in the tower for my prince," Stiles said with a smirk.

"I know you are not a damsel in distress, Stiles, but you are drugged and have a head wound."

"It's fine," Stiles said with a smile resting his hand on Derek's elbow before he swayed forward and gave him a hug. "Always so warm," he muttered as he climbed into the car.

"I'll look after him, Derek. See you tomorrow."

Derek waited until they were gone before he went back inside, said goodnight to Jasmine as he passed and went up to his room.

**Part 11 – Ambushing Assumptions**

At 8am, Allison called Stiles. "Hey Stiles, we still on for today?"

"Definitely," Stiles said stretching out in bed. "I'll come and pick you up at 9 which should be just enough time to get to the movie."

Allison grinned at Scott who was pouting as he pulled on clothes. "I think we should go and have breakfast first. Maybe at Luke's?"

"Oh, his omelette," Stiles said with a moan. "I'll come and get you in a half hour?"

"Excellent."

"How much is Scott pouting?"

"Oh so much," Allison said with a laugh. "More so now that he knows we are going to Luke's."

"I'll buy him a doughnut."

"When you get me doughnuts from Luke's I get nothing but crumbs," Scott yelled down the phone from the other side of the room.

Stiles laughed. "Tell Scott he's already late and I'll see you in thirty minutes."

"See you then Stiles."

"Bye," Stiles hung up the phone and dragged himself out of bed.

/\/\/\

Ten minutes later, Scott arrived at Derek's house to find Jackson, Danny and Lydia already there waiting for him on the porch.

"So he really didn't come?" Lydia asked sipping her coffee slowly.

Scott shook his head. "He and Allison are going to Luke's for breakfast and then to a movie."

"Bastards," Danny muttered.

"Where is Derek?" Scott asked.

"Oh, he knows you are late," Lydia said with a grin. "He and John are out setting something up."

"Do we know what we are doing today?" Jackson asked.

"All we know for sure is that it is something we haven't done before." Lydia said.

Scott sighed. "Is there coffee?"

"Jasmine is in there," Danny said with a sigh. "Do we know what she said to Stiles yesterday?"

"I asked him on the way home," Scott said. "Just more crap about her wanting Derek and disliking Stiles. Said it was nothing to worry about but if one of us felt the overwhelming urge to maul her today he wouldn't tell them off."

His other pack mates laughed as Monica came out of the house. "Coffee?"

Scott smiled at her and grabbed one of the mugs off the tray in her hands. "If you give her coffee Lydia will roll over so you can rub her belly. Ow! Fuck, Lydia."

Lydia smiled at him sweetly and thanked Monica for the coffee.

Ten minutes later, Derek and John came out of the woods together discussing something so quietly the rest of the wolves couldn't eavesdrop.

"I'll get Jasmine," John said going inside leaving everyone else.

"So what are we doing?" Scott asked.

"When we are all together I will explain," Derek answered.

John and Jasmine came out of the house not long after. Jasmine sitting next to Lydia while John went down the steps to join Derek before turning to address the group.

"We are going to do a team session today." Derek said.

"We are going to break up and be in two teams there will be an alpha per team and three betas. We have each planted a flag somewhere around the forest. The flags have been scented to make sure they can be found since we will not be saying where they are." John continued.

"I planted mine and John planted his, the teams are as follows. With me are Jasmine, Jackson and Scott. John will have Monica, Lydia and Danny." Derek added. "You are going after the other team's flag."

"The objective is to scent and track the flag," John continued. "Derek said the three of you have done that before though apparently you were tracking Stiles and Allison instead."

Derek's four betas laughed.

"Why is that funny?" John asked.

"Stiles found out that if he baths in wolfsbane then we can't scent him. No one found him and he was sitting up in a tree. Just before dark he started throwing stones at Scott who got to 'find' him. When he came down he had a book with him." Danny explained. "Derek got so frustrated that he couldn't find Stiles he pouted for the rest of the night. Stiles had to make him his triple chocolate brownies to make him stop."

"I do not pout," Derek said, letting his eyes flash.

"And yet you did," Lydia said. "So, we are tracking a flag you've peed on."

"Lydia," Derek said firmly. "We scented it."

"You say scented," Lydia said with a smirk. "But you mean peed on."

Derek turned to the rest of the group ignoring Lydia. "The first wolf to find the flag needs to howl so we know the game is over. You'll need to bring it back with them and everyone can meet back here."

"We will have one minute to confer before we start." John watched as the two teams formed in front of him as he spoke.

"There will be an added obstacle. Until one of you finds it, I am not telling you what it is." Derek grinned and his pack recognised the malicious glint in his eye.

Both teams separated to discuss before Derek and John set out sniffing the air trying to pick up a scent.

/\/\/\

Monica swore as a balloon full of neon green paint exploded on her chest right over her heart. "That hurt."

"Are you okay?" Lydia asked looking around.

"Fine, well, down a shirt but other than that I'm okay. What was that?"

"I smell a Stiles," Lydia said looking up at the trees around them.

"I don't smell anything." Monica said looking around.

"No, but it was him, he could be anywhere. He's dangerous with a rifle." Lydia looked around. "And he bathed in wolfsbane again.

"This is the extra obstacle, isn't it?"

"He is going to be picking us off one by one. Head shots you are out of the game, heart shots you need to drop and stay for ten minutes, all other wounds involve a two minute downtime. Three body hits and you're out of the game completely. You need to go back to the house. He needs to give you a five minute leeway between hits." John called out across the woods between himself and Lydia.

Monica laughed and threw herself onto the ground. "I like Stiles more and more. I couldn't even smell him. Shooting us with a broken nose."

"Stiles is awesome." Lydia agreed. "And scary as hell with a gun."

Lydia and John ran on ahead to get out of the way of the rifle leaving Monica to drop to the ground for ten minutes. Laying there she tried to find patterns in the clouds until she heard a twig snap, she twisted her head to look and found Stiles waving at her with a grin before he disappeared back into the trees.

"That was Stiles with a gun, wasn't it?" Danny asked running past her. "Oh, shit, he's out with his rifle, isn't he?"

Monica nodded.

"Derek is an evil bastard."

Monica laughed as Danny continued on separated from the rest of the pack trailing other scents looking for the flag.

/\/\/\

Scott turned to Jackson and opened his mouth just before he felt something hit him in the middle of the chest. He looked down and his shirt directly over his heart was covered in bright blue paint. "Allison!"

Derek stepped in front of him and picked up the arrow from the ground in front of Scott and grinned. "She is hunting us, if she hits you on the head you are automatically out, if she hits you on the heart you need to lie down for ten minutes, if she hits you anywhere else you have to lie down for two minutes. Three shots no matter where they hit you on your body you need to leave the game entirely and go back to the house."

"Stiles is out with his gun too, isn't he?" Jackson said his body deflating. "We are all going to be shot in the forehead."

"It's only Stiles," Jasmine said at the same time as Derek confirmed Jackson's suspicions. Jackson looked at her and after sharing a smile with Scott he started off. Scott staying where he was for his ten minutes out.

/\/\/\

Jasmine was separated from the rest of her team. Derek had sent them all off in separate directions hoping that one of them would pick up the scent.

She assumed Scott was still lying on the ground after his little human girlfriend shot him. Jasmine was transformed and scenting the air but she never even smelt it coming. A whistle on the breeze the only indication anything was occurring before a bolt of pain laced her chest, a thwack moments later in the tree next to her. Jasmine looked down at her chest blood red paint dripping down her clean white tank top. Stiles. She turned to look at the tree next to her; an arrow sticking out of the bark a note attached to it.

_Watch your back, Jasmine_

Jasmine lifted her head and scented the air. She couldn't smell anything. Another whistle on the air and the tree in front of her had an arrow buried in the wood.

_You are not going to find us, Jasmine_

Jasmine growled at the air knowing Stiles and Allison would be able to hear her.

/\/\/\

John caught the scent of something; he tilted his head and filled his lungs with air. It was faint and far away. With a deep breath he allowed the change to continue until he was completely alpha his eyes blood red as he sniffed the air. A whistle made his ears twitch and he turned just as his left ribs started to sting. He turned his head and stared at the distance where the noise had come from. He could see no movement, could smell nothing. With a low growl he allowed himself to change back to his human body. He looked at his ribs covered in bright green paint an arrow on the ground next to him.

"It seemed like such a good idea at the time," John muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground.

/\/\/\

Stiles was recounting the list of mythical creatures from the textbook he'd been reading the night before when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Derek's team had separated but Jackson and Scott were standing together discussing something both of them pointing in different directions. They were obviously arguing about the direction of the flags. Stiles smiled, he'd come across both of the flags when he and Allison were moving around the woods to catch different wolves. He shouldn't be mean to either of them since Scott was already sporting a paint mark. Obviously Allison had already hit him but they were both being so incredibly noticeable that he pulled his gun to his shoulder and sighted Jackson before taking a deep breath, tightening his hold on the branch for the recoil and squeezed the trigger on the out breath. Stiles could see Jackson swear before he sighted Scott and repeated the actions to hit him as well just a little to the right of Allison's mark.

"Stiles, you suck!" Scott yelled out as they both dropped down to the ground still arguing.

Stiles laughed silently waiting until they had finished their ten minutes and then scurried down the tree to find himself another spot to shoot his friends from.

/\/\/\

Allison sighted Lydia with the string of her bow pressed to her lips. She knew Lydia would be annoyed that she shot her but that was what made it fun. She took a deep breath, sighted carefully and let the string go her arrow sailing through the air a little more heavily than normal with the ball of paint at the tip.

The arrow hit Lydia just above the line of her singlet staining her skin with bright purple paint. Lydia flipped the air around her off before she looked around her area until she found a fallen tree she could perch on to keep her off the ground.

Allison dropped silently from the tree so pleased that Stiles did his research and knew how to keep them off the werewolves' radars. She started in the opposite direction from Lydia looking for a good tree to climb. She didn't normally shoot from up in them when she picked them off for training but Stiles had suggested it this time to keep them from the wolves. Allison suspected it had more to do with Jasmine being one of the wolves than him being worried about them actually catching him.

Allison looked around to see if anyone was in the area before she could sling her bow over her back to climb the tree. She turned around and spotted movement, she swung the bow around and nocked her arrow, slid into her stance and took aim. Danny froze when he saw the movement but before he could react she let the air out of her lungs and let the arrow go. He was close enough that the warning kept him from being able to get away. The paint exploded onto the skin of Danny's abdomen running in rivulets over his defined muscles. He swore and dropped to the ground before Allison turned and walked away to find another tree.

As far as she knew they couldn't be injured by the wolves but it was easier to sneak attack them when they couldn't smell the lingering scent of paint or, in her case, see the spent arrow. She found a new tree and climbed up quickly before settling on a low branch out of sight.

/\/\/\

Stiles was waiting for Jasmine.

When Derek had pulled him aside two nights ago to suggest this lovely day of ambushing his pack Stiles had been more than happy to do it. They had been holed up in Derek's study while Derek laid out the plan. The werewolves would break into two packs for a tracking exercise and Stiles would lie in wait to shoot them. Stiles had brought Allison into the plan since there would be two teams, they'd spent almost three hours that night talking about the activity and then talking about nothing at all.

Yesterday, after Jasmine had cornered him in the kitchen, and the bruise from that was spectacular and quite annoying when he was trying to pick his friends off one by one, Stiles decided that this was the perfect opportunity to show Jasmine exactly why Stiles was not the human to mess with. In hand to hand battle he couldn't fight a werewolf, not that he hadn't tried and lived before and wouldn't try again but with a gun in his hand Jasmine was nothing more than another moving target. Stiles wouldn't tell Derek about her actions because nothing could force him to take this time away from Derek but that didn't mean he had to stand by and take it now that she had progressed from verbal bullying to physical threats. The full moon was tomorrow night so John and his pack would be gone soon. Stiles was going to miss Monica and John, he'd thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some different werewolves but he would really enjoy watching Jasmine leave.

Jasmine's first shot had been planned by he and Allison at breakfast to pass on a message. Allison didn't know what had happened with Jasmine the day before but like all the pack, barring Derek, she knew that Jasmine was not being polite and courteous to Stiles. Allison had suggested the messages when Stiles told her that he intended to make sure Jasmine was the only werewolf who was shot out of this game. She could keep telling herself that she was going to try and take over the pack but Stiles knew for a fact that if it came down to it the betas would fight for him, might even leave Derek. Not Jackson, who would never leave Derek given the older man had given Jackson a sense of belonging that he had never had before, but Scott might just leave the pack for him. Stiles wasn't worried because he knew with certainty Derek would never ever ask him to leave the pack. The night Stiles had broken his wrist Derek had said it, if Stiles ever chose to leave he could but Derek wasn't going to kick him out and the woman Derek ended up with would have one hell of a fight on her hands if she thought she could kick Stiles out of his pack. Stiles didn't worry about his place in the pack anymore. Jasmine was a just picking on Stiles because he and Derek spent so much time together and she had noticed Stiles' feelings which he had to admit might be obvious to everyone but Derek…thankfully.

Finally Jasmine moved in the direction of the fake scent John had left. Stiles grinned, pulled his rifle up to his shoulder and took his shot.

Jasmine was hit in the back, over her heart. Stiles smiled at the perfect shot. Her next one would have to be a head shot. He watched with glee as the werewolf sat down on the ground.

/\/\/\

Allison lined John up in her sights and let the string go watching for the explosion of paint which overlapped her last mark. She grinned at the sight of the alpha dropping to the ground. Her father would be so proud, except of course for the fact the alpha wasn't dead.

She understood that not all werewolves were Scott or Derek or Lydia but they were not all Peter either and her father, and now her grandfather, seemed completely blind to that fact. She couldn't wait to get back to university so that things could return to normal. They could go back to talking about her coursework and her roommates instead of the fact she was ruining a generations long legacy and how her boyfriend would one day rip her to shreds in the throes of a full moon caused blood hunger. Or, you know, during sex as her mother had so mortifyingly pointed out during one of their interventions.

Allison sighed and pushed the thoughts from her head taking aim at Monica who'd come over to mock John. She hit Monica in the leg since there really was no reason to stop her from gloating at her boyfriend. Allison was a firm believer in busting your partner's chops in situations like this one.

/\/\/\

Stiles smirked as he lined Jasmine up in his sights. He had made sure he'd only hit her on the body up until now since he didn't want her out of the game too soon. Both hits so far had been to the heart, one in the back and one in the front. Each time she'd growled and started to prowl sniffing the air looking for him but Stiles knew these woods and knew how to evade a wolf. Both times she had eventually been forced into her time out giving up on finding him which amused Stiles to no end as she fumed lying in the dead leaves.

This time he wasn't going to be so nice, she was out regardless so he lined it up, took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger on the exhale hitting her smack in the middle of the forehead with a bright red paint pellet. Stiles bit his lip to keep from laughing, probably this was going to just piss her off more but hopefully the fact that Stiles was not nearly as weak as she assumed would also sink into her thick skull.

Stiles wasn't as careful about being quiet this time moving so a twig snapped and revealed his position. Jasmine's eyes snapped to his, he smiled at her big and wide while waving. She growled and started for him but Stiles wasn't very worried about her. Seconds passed before she stalked by Derek who looped around and reminded her that the house was in the other direction, head shot meant she was out. Jasmine glared at him one last time baring her teeth before turning and heading back to the house. Derek waved to Stiles with a smile before he took off at a run. Stiles took aim and hit him on the left arse cheek before he made it out of range. Stiles laughed at his growl as he dropped to the ground.

/\/\/\

Jasmine wrenched the door open and stalked into the bathroom to wash the paint off her face. Written on the bathroom mirror in garish red marker was a message.

_'Jasmine, I might be Derek's pathetic little omega but I can kill you without you even knowing I'm there. Remember that bitch. ~Stiles'_

Jasmine growled and slammed her fist down on the counter before rubbing the words away so she could wash the bright red paint from her forehead.

/\/\/\

John's team captured Derek's flag not long after Jasmine was forced off the field. Danny's howl split the air and all the wolves returned to the house. Jackson was the last person to arrive and with a low whistle every member of the wolf packs was suddenly hit in the stomach by either a bullet or arrow.

"Stiles," Derek yelled. "The game is over."

"Yeah but shooting you all is fun," Stiles yelled back.

"That why you shot Derek in the arse?" Lydia called out as Stiles suddenly appeared from the branch of a tree dropping down to the ground. Allison dropping from the tree on the other side of the clearing after him.

"I thought about a smiley face but you were only allowed to be shot three times before you were out."

"I cannot believe you shot me," Scott said when Allison came to stand next to him.

"You would have painted a smiley face on my backside?" Derek asked Stiles.

"You don't get special treatment just because you're my man," Allison said kissing him before she broke down her bow.

"Of course I would have," Stiles said. "I would have painted a smiley face on everyone's arse if I could have done it without getting you all out. Instead I stuck to heart shots, and one head shot."

"Yes, I saw Jasmine," Derek said.

"You hit Jasmine in the head?" Lydia asked slinging an arm around Stiles' shoulders.

"I should have a look at your nose if you've been scurrying in and out of trees," Monica said biting her lip to hold in a smile.

Jasmine came to the door when she heard them all outside. She was wearing new clothes and a forced smile.

"I think you were the only person 'killed', little sis," John said slinging an arm around her.

"Apparently," Jasmine said looking at Stiles whose back was to her as Monica poked at his nose.

**Part 12 – Keeping Secrets From Blood Sniffing Hounds**

Stiles went home after the training session, his nose aching and the pain killers from earlier that morning doing little to help. Lydia climbed into his passenger seat and grinned at him. Stiles wasn't able to convince her that he was in fact fine and going home for a nap didn't require a chaperone. Lydia rolled her eyes, pulled the seatbelt over her chest, and studiously ignored his grumbling.

Stiles drove back to his house. Lydia followed him inside and walked up to Stiles' room before he could. She pulled her shirt off over her head and started searching through his drawers. He was reminded of the day years ago when Derek had been shirtless and looking in the exact same drawer. If Danny had been straight that afternoon would have turned out very differently. Stiles enjoyed the view so much that he knew Lydia would be the perfect bait for dragging information out of someone else, someone interested in women, if the situation ever arose.

"Enjoying the show?" Lydia asked pulling out a shirt that she was happy with finally.

"You took your shirt off in front of me not my fault."

Lydia smiled at him. "You reek of tree, are you going to change?"

Stiles sniffed at himself and noticed the smear of sap along his leg. He nodded and started to undo his pants not wanting Lydia to see his bruises. He let his pants fall to the floor and realised Lydia was staring at him quite intently. "Enjoying the show?"

"Not my fault you're stripping in front of me, but your striptease needs a little work before you give Derek the show."

Stiles threw his pants at Lydia but she sidestepped out of the way and plucked them from the air dropping them in Stiles' dirty clothes basket. "I'm not planning on giving Derek the show."

"I know," Lydia said with a sigh. "Do you want to sleep?"

Stiles shook his head. "We'll watch something since you are keeping my company."

"I don't mind hanging while you nap."

Stiles smiled at her as he pulled some loose, comfortable pants on. "I told you, I'm fine. After all I spent the morning shooting you all."

"I cannot believe Derek asked you to do that after I broke your nose."

"We had sorted it out before I hurt myself, that night I stayed late he suggested it," Stiles said. "I was fine but it started aching after a while. Just the pain medication wearing off."

"Do you have anymore?"

"One more," Stiles said grabbing it from his bedside table. "After that Monica said normal pain medication would be fine and if it's not to go to see my doctor since I might need an x-ray."

"You need to eat," Lydia said. "Come downstairs and I'll make you something."

"Okay," Stiles said waiting for her to leave the room before grabbing a shirt from his drawer, changing and following her downstairs.

"I'll make you my special omelette."

Stiles smiled and sat down to watch her move around his kitchen. "Are you sure you want to risk it?"

Lydia poked her tongue out at him as she started dicing things to go into the omelette. "I don't cook for the masses."

"Our pack isn't the masses."

"They certainly are given the way they eat."

Stiles laughed with her. "You eat just as much."

Lydia looked at him horrified. "I do not! And even if I did, I do so in a much less feral way."

Stiles nodded and dropped his head down onto his folded arms watching her move. "I like watching you cook, one of my favourite things to do when I come and visit."

"When are you coming again?"

"Hopefully sometime during semester," Stiles said. "I'll have to look at my schedule. You gonna let me meet Logan properly this time?"

"Nope."

"Lydia, if you like him I want to meet him."

"I don't like him," Lydia said her body tightening as she flipped the pan to coat everything in some of the butter she'd already melted. Stiles wanted to pull her close into a tight hug but Logan's lack of interest while not definite still stung and she wasn't ready to even admit that she was hurt.

"He's your friend I want to meet your friends," Stiles said to change the meaning of his earlier words before he changed the topic. "Can we crash some lectures again?"

"So you can write insane answers to questions and give them to the lecturer hoping to make them smile?"

Stiles nodded. "That's my plan."

"Then yes of course we can."

Stiles smiled and relaxed now that her body was soft and fluid again the tension from before lost. He continued to watch her but he didn't bother talking just enjoyed the comfortable silence.

When Lydia was done, she rinsed everything in the sink and piled it on the side. She walked straight past Stiles and into the lounge room. He grabbed a bottle of lemonade and a couple of glasses and followed her in.

"Perfect," she said when he poured her a glass. "Eat."

"Thanks, Lydia," Stiles said pressing his hand to her knee.

"My pleasure," she said picking up her own plate. "For you I will cook."

Stiles took it as the compliment it was. Even after all this time, even knowing that the pack would accept her for what she felt like hiding from the world, her brains, her strength, she still hid parts of herself from people. Stiles still didn't understand her desire for people to think she couldn't cook, for people to think she was bad with kids when she went down to the hospital near her to read to children at least once a month, for them to think things about her that were not true. She hid things she felt made her vulnerable but they had always been the things Stiles had loved about her the most. He was incredibly happy to know that she trusted him enough to know the things she hid, at least some of them. He just hoped one day she'd stop hiding so much of herself.

Stiles finished eating the amazing omelette that he would be thinking about for weeks wanting another one. He'd known that even before he'd started but couldn't help himself anyway. He downed the pill and relaxed onto the chair after handing Lydia the remote.

Stiles didn't remember falling asleep but he woke with his head on a pillow in Lydia's lap and Derek's voice quiet in the doorway.

"Hey," Stiles pulled himself up and closed his eyes for a moment against the light headed feeling that gripped him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm good," Stiles said with a smile. "Just still a little funny in the head."

Derek frowned. "I shouldn't have let you hide out in trees."

"Let me?" Stiles asked.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Fine, so you would have done whatever you wanted regardless but maybe you shouldn't have come."

"It was fun," Stiles said with a grin. "I love shooting you all. Makes me feel all powerful and reminds you all that I'm not all helpless and human."

Lydia let out a bark of laughter. "Helpless? Jesus, Stiles, you are the most terrifying member of our little family."

Derek sighed and nodded. "I am offended at the implication and I also know it's somewhat true."

"Oh, of course you are the biggest and the scariest, Derek."

Derek stared at her.

"Right, I'm going to the little girl's room while you two chat."

Derek waited for Lydia to leave the room before he took a seat on one of the other chairs. "Tomorrow is the full moon."

"I know," Stiles reached for his drink and frowned at the fact it was empty. "Do you want a drink?"

"Water?"

Stiles nodded and walked away.

He knew that his warning to Jasmine would not be allowed to stand without some retaliation. He knew his pack was in control, they'd spent years working on it but the full moon was the most dangerous time for a werewolf regardless. If Jasmine was capable of hating him enough for the bruise on his arm then he didn't particularly want to see what she'd do with the excuse of the moon's power behind her. He didn't like to run from a fight but he knew with nothing between them to give him more power she could and probably would hurt him much worse than she had so far. He would like to think she wouldn't attack him but he couldn't honestly believe she wouldn't after he'd baited her. She had been smart so far keeping everything out of Derek's view, his whole pack's view, and he knew that she would continue to do so. When she was gone he'd tell Derek about her, about what she'd been doing. Maybe not everything, he didn't need Derek going all alpha and protective like he had when he'd found out Danny's boyfriend had been cheating on him last time they were visiting. Derek deserved to know what Jasmine was like but only after Derek had had the chance to enjoy talking about Laura with someone who had known her.

He grabbed both glasses and went back into the lounge room.

"Are you going to come out tomorrow?"

"No," Stiles said. "I think it's best if I don't."

Derek frowned but nodded. "Today took a lot out of you."

Stiles gingerly touched his nose. "I think you are supposed to take it easy after breaking your nose."

Derek sipped at his water but didn't say anything for a while. Stiles relaxed back and just waited for Derek to finish thinking about whatever he was mulling over.

"I wish they weren't here," Derek said finally. "It's not the same without all of you there all the time. I know Jasmine can be quite militant with her views on being a werewolf and she put a lot of you off at the start."

"We're just happy you are spending time with friends," Stiles said sitting forward. "John and Monica are great."

"I was always closer to John than Jasmine," Derek said. "He was always so calm and stable. I needed that when we were in New York. I wasn't coping well."

"But you and Jasmine," Stiles found his hand rolling at the wrist as he found himself unsure how to finish that sentence.

Derek nodded and stared down at his feet. "One really, really stupid full moon. Laura was so disappointed in me. She always said you should never make those types of decisions under the full moon's sway."

"You were young and hurting."

Derek smiled and looked back up at him. "You don't need to do that but thank you."

"Do what?"

"Offer me an excuse. I know it was a bad idea when I did it but…"

Stiles didn't push even if he was incredibly curious about what Derek wanted to say he just sat back and took a drink from his glass. "I am going to hang out here tomorrow. I'll come by the next day though."

Derek nodded and stood up going into the kitchen and when he came out it was without the glass in his hand, his keys in their place. "Look after yourself and if you need anything just call."

"Of course but I'm fine."

"I know, Stiles, but just in case," Derek pressed his hand to Stiles' shoulder before pulling away and smiling down at him. "Lydia, you can come out now. I'll see you the day after tomorrow?"

"I'll be there with bells on."

Derek smiled and said his goodbyes before leaving.

Lydia settled next to Stiles on the couch and turned the TV back on. Stiles pulled Lydia close; wanting to give her a hug for himself if not for her and settled down to watch whatever made her happy. He wanted to be there tomorrow night, he wanted to go out with his pack like he normally did but he knew this was a better idea and honestly he was tired of having to spend time with Jasmine. He wanted to be there but was relieved to have a day completely and utterly to himself. Lydia stayed until Stiles' dad came home from work and settled on another chair beer in hand. Lydia shook her head and said her goodbyes even as the Sheriff invited her to stay for dinner.

/\/\/\

On the night of the full moon, Stiles cleaned the house and made himself a large pot of fried rice and honey chicken. He went to bed early with his laptop and all the illegally downloaded episodes of 'The Vampire Diaries' he hid in a misnamed folder to keep from being mocked mercilessly by Lydia and the rest of his werewolf-y family. Not long after the moon came up flooding his room with washed out white light he could hear distant howls which left him feeling melancholy. He should be out there with them, he might not transform and he might not have super powers but he was always there on the full moon. He turned the volume up on his laptop and focussed on the trials of fake werewolves studiously.

The loud growl startled him awake and Stiles twisted to look at his window while he started reaching under his bed.

Electric blue eyes stared back at him. "Derek?"

He forgot about going for his gun shuffling over on the bed instead. He threw open the window Derek half transformed in front of him looking more like he had when he'd been a beta than when he was in his alpha form.

"Derek, what are you doing here?"

There was a low, mournful howl from the direction of Derek's house and Derek turned to deliver an answering howl that Stiles would swear to his grave did not cause him to half-harden but instead filled him with terror. Terror, he told his body again. He hoped no one ever asked. Derek's growl reverberated throughout Stiles' body making his bones vibrate and his heart beat faster the louder it became.

"Checking on you," Derek growled out looking around the room his eyes settled on Stiles' swollen and bruised nose.

"I'm fine," Stiles said looking back into his room. "I was just watching a movie and keeping my head elevated. I think I'd fallen asleep."

"Sorry," Derek said turning when another howl travelled to them.

"You'd better go, you need to run and hunt and frolic with the rest of the pack."

Derek nodded. "Not the same without you," he said as he leapt from the roof running off into the night. Stiles closed his window leaving it unlocked in case he had any other lupin visitors before he shut down his computer and crawled into bed properly.

/\/\/\

The next morning, Stiles arrived early to find Scott and Jackson still asleep upstairs. Danny and Lydia were half asleep at the kitchen table staring forlornly at the empty coffee maker.

"I know both of you know how to use the coffee machine so why are you just staring at it?"

"It's so far away," Lydia mumbled. "John and Jasmine kept us out all night. We hunted down three deer and a brace of rabbits. I can still taste blood and I swear there is fur in my teeth."

Stiles took pity on her and started the coffee.

"I love you," Lydia said watching him.

"Love you too, babe," Stiles said with a smile.

"You are the most attractive man to have ever stood in front of a gay man," Danny threw in.

Stiles laughed and started unpacking the pastries he'd bought on his way over. "See, was that so hard to admit?"

"Oh, none of them have meat," Lydia said gleefully, reaching for a cheery danish.

"I know how much you dislike meat the night after a full moon and I figured last night would be worse."

"Jasmine is bloodthirsty," Danny said in a loud whisper.

Stiles rubbed at his upper arm switching the pot with a mug for whichever of the wolves at the table got to it first.

"Morning, Stiles," Derek said coming in the back door. "Are you feeding them coffee?"

"He likes us more than you do," Lydia said with a smile grabbing another danish.

"Did you have a good night last night?" Stiles asked pulling out the croissant he'd bought for Derek and handing it over.

Derek smiled his thanks and nodded. He kept himself behind Stiles' back and slipped some of the money he kept under his cookie jar into Stiles' wallet where it sat on the counter. Stiles never commented on the money that appeared and Derek never brought it up and Stiles kept appearing with food. Derek figured it was a good system.

"Do we have plans for the day?" Derek asked pulling his croissant apart and eating it while his betas slowly came back to life under the power of caffeine.

"It's looking like we might get a storm today," Stiles said. "And it had been so lovely."

"Hey, Stiles," Lydia said. "Next year let's go down to Florida for Spring Break."

Stiles turned to her and frowned. "Why?"

"I just have a feeling it would be fun."

Stiles grinned and nodded. "You want to go a little wild?"

Lydia laughed. "I was thinking about it the other night. I was watching an old episode of 'Gilmore Girls' and they went down, seemed like it might be fun."

"Okay," Stiles said. "We inviting anyone else?" Stiles was watching Danny shoving most of his danish into his mouth and chewing like a chipmunk.

Lydia looked at Danny as well and frowned. "No."

Stiles laughed and nodded grabbing his own cup of coffee and sitting next to Derek. "I hear you ate yourselves some bunnies and Bambi."

Derek shook his head. "Yes and Lydia complained, loudly, about it."

"Bambi!"

"As werewolves we have to be able to survive off the land if needed. You never know when a hunter is going to try and kill you and you need to evade them for days or longer," Jasmine said coming in.

"So true," Jackson said coming in behind her.

John stepped into the room interrupting Jackson. "We're off, see you later this afternoon." Derek nodded before John and Jasmine left the room.

"Hey, Stiles, you brought pastries?" Jackson continued when they were out of the room.

"I am the most attractive person to have ever stood in front of a homosexual man," Stiles informed him with a grin handing Jackson a strawberry and custard danish. "Though that could be the fact I made Danny coffee."

"I shall bow before thee as a slave and follow wher'ver you step," Danny said with a surprisingly good English accent.

"Dork," Stiles said.

"I'm going outside," Jackson said.

"Storm is coming," Stiles said.

"I know," Jackson said. "But there just isn't room enough in here for all of us."

Stiles grabbed his coffee and pastry and followed Jackson out of the house because the table Derek had bought was big enough for more than just the pack. Jackson pulled him to the side as soon as they were a reasonable distance away.

"Jasmine is vicious," Jackson said at a whisper. "I know she's only talked up until now but just be careful and don't get into a situation where you are alone with her, okay? I know you can handle yourself but let us help."

Stiles nodded and bumped Jackson with his shoulder. "I promise I'll keep my werewolf guards with me at all times. Lydia mentioned she was bloodthirsty before."

Jackson nodded and relaxed. "It was fucked up the way she went after those animals."

"More vicious than Derek?"

"No," Jackson said. "When Derek has a reason to be vicious he is much worse but she enjoyed the kill."

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but Danny and Lydia came out from the house with Derek behind them carrying the bag of pastries and his own cup of tea.

"It is definitely going to be a spectacular storm," Lydia said looking at the sky. "But it's nice out here, not cold."

They all found chairs around the table and settled down.

"Did Allison come over last night?" Stiles asked.

Danny nodded. "She was here when we got back. I'm surprised she hasn't come down. _She_ wasn't up until dawn."

"Oh, Danny, you can have a nap later," Jackson said patting his friend on the shoulder.

"We always stay out all night on the full moon," Derek reminded him.

"Yes, but we don't normally hunt so many animals."

"That is true," Derek said. "You all did really well, proved how strong you all are."

"Praise from our fearless leader," Scott said coming out. "Pastries."

Allison came behind him and firmly pressed two decks of Uno cards on the table. "I figured poker would be a bit vicious the day after the full moon."

"Yes because when we play Uno we are so very considerate of each other and have never had it turn into a knock down drag out fight," Danny said sarcastically.

"True," Allison said. "Fun though. And I couldn't find the normal playing cards."

"Uno it is," Stiles said clapping his hands and reaching for the cards. "I'll deal."

"You cheat," Lydia said grabbing the second deck.

"We all cheat," Danny reminded her. "I'm getting more coffee."

"Can you bring a jug of water?" Stiles asked.

Danny nodded and disappeared inside. When he came out the cards had been dealt and they started the game.

They stopped for lunch only after Lydia stood on the table and declared herself winner and Stiles stole as many cards as he could and sat on them.

"I'm hungry," Stiles said. "Someone feed me or I shall never release the cards."

Lydia climbed down. "Toasted cheese sandwiches for all," she declared and heading into the kitchen.

Stiles stood up but Danny pushed him back down. "We got this."

Jackson stood and went in with them leaving Scott, Allison, and Derek to return some order to the table. There were a number of plastic cups on the floor from where people had thrown them in fits of annoyance at the heads of other members of the pack. There was a cushion resting on the barbecue that Danny had been hitting Jackson over the head with after he'd hit him with a 32 card pickup and a cackle of glee. They put the table back in order and Stiles re-shuffled the cards so they could keep playing after lunch.

Lydia came out after they'd finished with new cups and a couple of drinks. She collected the old cups and disappeared back inside.

They came out with more toasted cheese sandwiches than possible.

They ate quietly after Jackson dealt another hand of the game. They played and ate continuing to take the piss out of each other, mock and smack talk until all the sandwiches were gone and they were all full.

A while later when Stiles had played his 'draw four' card and Derek growled at the total that was now sitting in front of him the sky split with thunder as the world around them turned suddenly bright and unreal. Between one breath and the next the sky that was looking dangerous turned completely apocalyptic and the skies opened and dumped rain down on them. Stiles swore and they started in towards the house their clothes soaked in seconds.

"We'll need new cards," Allison said with a laugh as she dropped the ones she'd had clutched in her hand on the counter.

"Okay," Derek said when they were all inside and standing there like drowned rats. "Clothes off in here and get changed. Please don't track water through my house."

The werewolves all started undressing much too comfortable around each other without clothes on. Stiles laughed at them all quietly as he began pulling his shirt off. He had made it almost all the way off when he heard the growl. His eyes flicked up and then down to his arm which was now exposed as a vibrant painting of greens, reds, purples, and blues. He closed his eyes and swore softly.

"Stiles, where did you get that bruise?" Derek asked walking over to Stiles.

"Oh, nowhere. You know how easily I bruise." Stiles said attempting to get the wet material back over his head and covering the bruise on his arm again.

"That is a hand mark." Derek said grabbing Stiles' elbow gently and pulling his arm out so he could see the bruise properly.

"Yes." Stiles said as his eyes darted around the rest of the packs' faces. They all looked murderous. "Scott!" Stiles said finally and Derek's turned fierce electric blue eyes on his beta. "I fell, and Scott grabbed me and stopped me from breaking my face but I got a bit of a bruise. All in all better than a completely broken face." Stiles said lying terribly and hoping Derek wouldn't call him on it. Derek turned back to him and Scott glared over his shoulder. Lydia was mouthing 'tell him' over Derek's other shoulder.

"Stiles, why are you lying to me?"

Stiles swallowed heavily. "I'm not?" He finished weakly.

"It's Jasmine." Allison said in a rush. "Sorry, Stiles. Sorry."

Derek's face shuttered; no expression left but for the tight line of his lips. "Jasmine did this to you?"

Stiles tried to pull away from Derek's hold but even though Derek was not hurting him his fingers would not separate to allow Stiles to get away.

A sound out the front made all the werewolves look up and Stiles used the chance to twist away from Derek and pull the shirt the rest of the way down before moving into the house. He'd made it to the entryway when the door opened revealing Jasmine looking at him. Her eyes took in his drenched clothes and pinched into a sneer before smoothing out when she spotted Derek. Derek marched up behind Stiles grabbed his elbow and pulled him up the stairs ignoring his protests.

Jasmine watched them go. "Where are they going?"

"Upstairs." Lydia started and then paused a second to listen. "Derek's room specifically." Lydia moved over closer to Jasmine. "Can't you hear them?" Lydia repeated the words that all the wolves could hear as though the two men were standing in the room with them. "Stiles, take off your shirt."

Lydia grinned at Jasmine whose entire face coloured beet red.

**Part 13 – Protection, Independence, and Revenge**

Stiles walked away from Derek and turned his stereo on.

"What?" Derek asked.

"I don't like it when the rest of the pack eavesdrops and they will be listening."

"Stiles, please take off your shirt," Derek repeated.

With a sad smile at the fact Stiles had been waiting for those words for two years now, he sighed and pulled the wet fabric away from his body. He held it loosely in his hand as Derek stared at his arm.

"Who?" Derek asked stepping forward to ghost his fingers along the coloured flesh.

"Jasmine." Stiles said finally a heavy weight flying away with the word.

"When?" Derek's eyes were hard when he caught Stiles' eyes again.

"Two days ago during the day outside with the pool. She came in to talk to me when everyone was out. We had a disagreement."

"About?"

"How pathetic I am."

Derek pulled away and started pacing, all the way to the window and then turned and stalked back. "Stiles."

"I know I'm not, Derek. I know I'm not the omega and I know I am part of this pack. She didn't get to me." Stiles said and then laughed. "Besides, she got my message."

"Your message?"

"At the training session where I was up in a tree to tag you guys, you didn't think it was a coincidence that she was the one that got 'killed' did you?"

Derek turned to him with an unreadable expression but Stiles let the smile take over his face.

"You deliberately let everyone else live so that you could send her the message that she shouldn't be fucking with you?" Derek finally asked.

Stiles nodded. "Just a reminder that I might not be able to beat her in hand to hand combat but I am not completely weak. Nothing has happened since."

"But you haven't been here," Derek pointed out his fingers flittering along the bruise again causing a shiver to climb along Stiles' spine.

"Well that is true too. I didn't want to encourage her to retaliate."

Derek sighed and nodded looking around the room then back to Stiles' arm. His face darkened as he looked at the bruises.

"Mostly she was just talking. Comments about me being pathetic because I cook for you guys and I do things for you. Because I look after you all; so obviously I'm just a pathetic little omega you are keeping around to do all the crap work for the pack. I just wanted to show her that you don't just keep me around so that Jackson doesn't give the entire pack food poisoning."

Derek laughed. "See, when people ask me why I have a human in my pack I should just put a fucking gun in your hands. Or let you plan our next assault, between you and Lydia everyone else has already lost."

"Just wait until the day she decides to take over the pack."

"My attorney already has a letter saying she did it."

Stiles laughed and then looked at Derek seriously. "Derek, it's fine. I had it under control."

Derek shook his head and started pacing again. "She should not have gotten close enough to do that to you in my house."

"It's not your fault," Stiles said stepping closer to Derek resting a head to his back. "You didn't know."

Derek spun on him. "I should have! You are a member of my pack, you are my responsibility and I couldn't keep you safe here in my own home."

"I didn't tell you and she was very careful not to do anything when anyone else could see or hear anything."

"You should have trusted me enough to tell me."

"I trust you," Stiles said bending to catch Derek's eyes. "You know I trust you but I couldn't say anything. I know what you would have done."

"What would I have done?"

"Put the epic Derek alpha smack down on her arse."

Stiles barely caught the hint of a smile on Derek's lips before it was gone.

"She has no right to say those things to you, no right to touch what's mine." Derek frowned. "No, I mean no right to touch anyone in my pack…because the pack is mine…all of you."

"I knew what you meant," Stiles said with a tiny sad smile.

"Tell me what she said, Stiles."

"I've told you."

"Be specific."

"Don't do this to yourself," Stiles went to sit on a chair by the window. "It's not your fault."

"She is my guest and she did this to you," Derek stalked over and gently lifted Stiles' arm as though he could have forgotten about the bruise. "This is my fault."

"Just because something bad happened doesn't make it your fault," Stiles reminded him. "This is Jasmine's fault. And perhaps a little of my own. I never thought she'd get violent."

"This is not your fault."

"No," Stiles said. "But I never took into account the fact she's a werewolf so of course things would eventually escalate to physical messages."

"I put you in danger by welcoming them here."

"They are your friends, how were you supposed to know she was dangerous?"

"She said it, didn't she? She kept making noises about humans in a wolf pack, I wasn't listening."

"Derek, she is nuts! She hid it well and she really didn't want you to know." Stiles said emphatically. "She desperately wants you back. For some reason she sees me as an obstacle, probably because we live together and has decided to scare me off. I can handle all of that, don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Derek asked turning and stepping over in front of Stiles. "I don't care that you can handle it because of course you can handle it. You can handle anything, fuck you have my entire pack of werewolves handled all the time. But you shouldn't **have** to handle it. What on earth made you think you needed to handle it alone?"

"Okay, stop saying handle it," Stiles said with a smile but Derek just continued to glare at him. "Alright fine, listen she knew Laura. You enjoyed having them around and enjoyed talking about Laura so I just let you have that."

"I could hit you," Derek said. "That has to be the most stupid reason in the history of Stiles decisions."

"Nice."

Derek flicked his eyes out the window and glared, Stiles could hear the faint rumble of his growl working its way through his chest.

"Derek?" Stiles said after a few silent moments.

"If you ever let someone do that to you again without telling me I will…" Derek trailed off his body suddenly shaking with anger.

"Rip my throat out with your teeth?" Stiles asked.

Derek let out a huff of laughter before he crouched down in front of Stiles and caught his eye before speaking. "Stiles, do you really think…"

Stiles didn't get a chance to know what Derek was going to say because there was suddenly a large bang from downstairs and they both turned and ran from the room.

At the base of the stairs sat a broken table and Lydia and Jasmine rolling around on the floor trying to rip one another to shreds.

"Lydia!" Stiles said running down the stairs. "Guys why aren't you doing anything?"

"Was her turn," Scott said viciously looking at the bruise on Stiles' arm before looking back at the two female betas.

"Her turn," Stiles turned to the rest of the pack and glared at them all. "Do you honestly think this is going to help?"

"Lydia, get off her." Stiles didn't step into the fray knowing that he could be hurt by either of them intentionally, or not, very easily. All he got in response was a growl. Derek stepped past Stiles and grabbed hold of Lydia hauling her up and away from Jasmine who climbed up and growled at Lydia who was bleeding freely from a number of wounds.

"Lydia, stop!" Derek growled at her, Lydia snarled at him but dropped her head and nodded shortly still glaring at Jasmine over Derek' shoulder.

Stiles stepped forward and pulled Lydia closer to him. The female werewolf kept her eyes on Jasmine as she moved towards Stiles.

"What do you think you are doing?" Derek asked stepping towards Jasmine.

"She started it," Jasmine growled. "Doesn't know her place."

"My place is most definitely between you and Stiles, you vicious whore," Lydia spat.

"Lydia," Stiles said tugging more forcefully on her arm. "Come on let me look at you."

"I'm fine," Lydia said her eyes flicking to Stiles, down to his bruise.

"The blood tells me differently," Stiles said again pushing her down into a chair and using his ruined shirt to wipe at the wounds and see which ones were bad.

"You have been attacking members of my pack?" Derek asked. Stiles didn't bother to look up just kept his back to his pack and focussed on Lydia while watching them from the corner of his eye. He knew he could turn his back on her if he wanted, though it would be epically stupid at this point, but he knew nothing was getting to him with the rest of the pack in the room.

"She started it," Jasmine repeated.

"I'm not talking about her," Derek said stepping closer. "I'm talking about you assaulting, Stiles, a member of my pack."

"Just as pathetic as I thought you were," Jasmine glared at Stiles. "Running to Derek to dob on me."

"He didn't come to me," Derek said his hands fisting at his sides. "I saw the bruise you gave him and then he confirmed it."

"I think you're going to be fine," Stiles said quietly to Lydia who was looking over his shoulder basically ignoring him.

"Just proving my point," Jasmine muttered, Stiles looked at her and knew now that everything was out in the open she had no reason to try and hide anymore. He wondered if she was more dangerous like this. "Running around after them like their-"

"Omega, right?" Stiles said stepping forward to find Scott and Jackson suddenly at his sides. "Jesus, guys, don't go all ninja on me. You keep saying it, you keep telling me I'm the pathetic little omega but I'm not. Omega wolves are ones without packs; you know that, we know that, everyone fucking knows that but you have to keep perpetuating this idea of omegas as the servants of the werewolf pack even though it's a disgusting and horrible tradition. But you're right I do look after my pack," Stiles looked at the two wolves on either side of him. "And they look after me because we are a pack so just stop. It's not worth it so…just stop."

"A human cannot be a member of a wolf pack. You know nothing about werewolves and what it takes to be their pack mate."

Stiles sighed at Jasmine's continued dislike; he wasn't going to convince her to feel any differently so he just let it go. "Of course I do, scratching behind their ears, the occasional belly rub. Taking them for a walk sometimes."

Jasmine snarled at him but he didn't bother to react just dropped back to stand against the wall and leave his pack to it. Stiles didn't have the energy to deal with her anymore.

"You think you have the right to talk about us like that?" Jasmine asked.

"You need to stop talking to Stiles," Scott said with his own snarl.

"Why?"

"Because you are very lucky Stiles pulled Lydia off you before she ripped your fucking head off for touching Stiles like that," Jackson spat.

"Okay," Stiles said grabbing Scott's and Jackson's shoulders. "Take a step back. It's a bruise and not worth all of this. She grabbed my arm and gave me a bruise."

"It was bad enough when she was just saying things to you," Danny said. "Not that you'd ever tell us what she said."

"She is one werewolf and you all know what she has been doing so you shouldn't be ganging up on her like this."

"She deserves whatever she gets for what she did to you," Lydia said suddenly standing at his back.

"Is ganging up on her any better than what she did to me?" Stiles asked the sky, throwing his hands up since he was now surrounded by betas.

"How can you even ask that?" Danny said turning to him. "You did nothing wrong, you didn't attack her first, you were just being you and she started bullying you."

"Yes, she did," Stiles said. "And now she can't anymore but I think this might be overkill. You're all ganging up on her which isn't going to calm anyone down."

"Aren't you mad at her?" Lydia asked. "Don't you want revenge?"

Stiles stopped. "What would it solve? She doesn't think humans should be in werewolf packs and she is definitely not the only werewolf out there who thinks it. Trying to beat that thought out of her isn't going to solve anything."

%%%

"You're ours Stiles," Scott said. "No one gets to do that to you."

"Naww, so sweet. Now back to hell off, it's a bruise. She didn't beat me with a stick. Let me handle it, okay, just step back and relax." Stiles knew his pack was being protective, and it was lovely to be protected when needed but he could feel the antagonism in the room escalating. He knew if left to it Jasmine would say something that would end with at least one of Stiles' pack attempting to remove her head. He didn't want to deal with Jasmine, he honestly just wanted her gone, but if the choices were a fight between his pack and John's pack because of something one of the betas did he would choose to deal with Jasmine. John and Monica had done nothing, had been nothing but kind to him the entire time they'd been here and even if Jasmine was a manipulative, prejudiced bitch in the end that shouldn't end Derek's relationship with John. If one could in fact be salvaged.

"I don't think that's a smart idea," Lydia said.

"I never said I was going to go over there and punch her, that's just silly."

"As if I would let you get that close to me," Jasmine said her eyes narrowed at him. "You tell Derek's pack what to do like you have any right?"

"He has every right to ask his pack mates to follow his instructions," Derek said stepping closer to Jasmine. "As you should know, you come from a family of werewolves, you know that not all children are born with the gift, they are just as much pack as any other member."

"They are bitten," Jasmine reminded him.

"Only if they want it."

"Only in your pack, in ours you took the bit and you were glad to be a true member of the pack, a true werewolf."

"Is that what happened to you?" Stiles asked before his brain caught up with him. "Were you born human?"

Jasmine snarled at him. "Don't talk to me."

Stiles held his hands up and nodded. Now that Derek was standing between his pack and Jasmine the betas had relaxed. They were all standing around him still, he could feel them touching him but that didn't surprise him. They knew he was hurt now and they'd want to keep physical contact for a while for reassurance but it didn't look like things were going to escalate anymore. Derek was calm even if Stiles could see the tight set of his shoulders, he was angry but he wasn't about to eviscerate Jasmine with it. Knowing things were more relaxed, even if Stiles had been expecting to hold Derek back from Jasmine at some point, allowed Stiles to relax and press close to his pack.

"Do not speak to any member of my pack like that," Derek's voice was firm but Jasmine looked at him defiantly.

"You really choose him? You protect and defend that pathetic little human? You are weak for allowing him into your pack, for allowing him to make your pack weak!"

Derek grabbed Jasmine around the throat and pushed her against the wall, lifting until her feet where trying to gain purchase on the floor.

"That human." Derek growled out. "Is the only fucking reason I am not dead. He is the reason most of my pack isn't dead and the fucking reason I am not going to rip your throat out. If you come back here and insult my pack, threaten them or try anything like what has been happening here this week I will ensure that there will be nothing left of you for your brother to bury. Do you understand, Jasmine?" Derek spat out her name.

Jasmine nodded watching Derek with suddenly wide and terrified eyes.

"Derek," John said from behind him appearing through the door.

Derek let go of Jasmine and stepped back keeping his body between her and the rest of his pack.

John stepped up and into Jasmine's space. "What is going on?"

Jasmine looked at her brother and then beyond him to Stiles. "I was just putting him in his place."

John turned and looked at Stiles. The pack stepped closer to him but Stiles pushed them away. "She's been telling me I shouldn't be in Derek's pack," Stiles explained going with the general gist of things rather than getting into anything specific. Stiles was a little confused at the way Derek had immediately let go of Jasmine, the way he stood back now. It wasn't how Derek normally acted when one of his pack had been hurt.

"Be honest," Lydia hissed in his ear.

"Fine, she's been doing it repeatedly and viciously but she was only talking until the other day when she grabbed my arm," Stiles held it out so everyone could see really wishing this was all over already.

"Not even proof of your uselessness could make them see; you broke your nose and had to be taken care of. Pathetic."

"You did that to Stiles?" John asked. "You caused that?"

Jasmine nodded glaring at the human.

"Jasmine!" John's voice was low almost a growl causing his sister's eyes to flick back to him and her head to bow. "Derek welcomed us into his house and you repaid that by attacking one of his pack?"

"He's not worth all of this."

John growled at her warningly. "Whatever you feel about humans in packs it is Derek's pack. Stiles," John turned to look at him and Derek stepped out of the way coming to stand beside but a little behind Stiles the rest of the pack adjusting to make space. "As the person who was injured you may request a punishment."

Stiles frowned. "I don't understand."

"I will be reminding Jasmine of the correct way to interact with other packs we are aligned with but as the person who was injured you are welcome to request a punishment."

"I don't want to punish her," Stiles said.

"Stiles, she hurt you-" Derek's warning look cut Lydia off even as she glared back at him.

Stiles continued. "Most of what she did was just verbal. I would be happy if she just left me alone. I don't think me punishing her is going to convince her that I have earned my place in this pack."

"Trust me, Stiles, she will not bother you ever again."

Stiles nodded. "Then you can do as you want."

"Derek," Jackson said stepping forward.

"Jackson, be quiet," Derek said looking at his pack. "Wait and I will explain."

"Jasmine, go and pack now," John said pushing his sister in front of him. Monica followed them moments later from where she had been standing hidden by the open door.

As soon as they were gone the pack turned on Derek. Stiles stayed by his side curious about how this all worked.

"What are you doing, Derek?" Scott asked coming forward. "Why are you just letting her leave?"

Derek turned to his pack and sighed. "If one of you ever did something like that I would never allow another alpha to punish you. That is my responsibility as alpha. It is accepted between packs that unless the wolf kills a member of the other pack, without certain types of provocation, their alpha is the one to hand out punishment. John has done nothing wrong," his eyes cut to Stiles who nodded. "And as such he has every right to punish Jasmine as he sees fit. She will never be allowed here again. If she comes near Stiles, or any of you again, if she attacks any of you, then I will step in. Then I will ensure she understands more fully that no one is allowed to attack any of my pack."

"That is crap," Lydia said. "You've punished people for less than this."

"Never another wolf, and never physically."

"You held Danny's ex James up against a wall and told him that if he ever treated Danny like that again you'd beat him with his own arm." Jackson pointed out. He'd wanted to do the same, to do more, at the time but Derek made it to the cheating, manipulative bastard first.

"Not a werewolf, and given what happened between them I think I was justified."

"When my Dad swept into town you told him to treat me and mum right or he'd be answering to you," Scott added.

"Not a werewolf."

"You yelled at me for an hour when I accidently hurt Lydia," Jackson said. "All she gets is a warning never to hurt Stiles again."

"My pack."

"You strung me up in a tree when I dislocated Stiles' shoulder." Danny added.

"My pack and you were being really reckless."

"You scratched the car of my ex-boyfriend when he posted stuff about me online."

Derek grinned at her. "Not my pack and fun."

Stiles left his pack to their argument knowing they would argue with Derek about his decision for a while but Stiles felt comfortable leaving this to John. He slipped away to the hallway where the guest rooms were and into the room with Monica after making sure Jasmine was not there.

"Stiles," Monica said looking up from her packing. "Are you okay? Would you like me to check your arm?"

"It's fine I think," Stiles looked down at it realising he was still shirtless, he'd have to go upstairs and fix that at some point. He shook his head and pulled back to the conversation.

"Can I look anyway?"

"Of course," Stiles said stepping forward. "Have a look."

Monica lifted his arm and tested it, pressing gently against the arm around the bruise and then down his arm. "Make a fist, good, wriggle your fingers. I think you're right it looks okay but just keep an eye on it. Jasmine is very strong. Given the size of the bruise and the viciousness of the colours she could have easily done some serious damage."

"And I am merely a human."

Monica laughed. "That too, the nose looks okay."

"I can breathe a little easier today than I could yesterday."

"It will take a good long time to not hurt at all."

Stiles nodded while Monica went back to the packing. "I really enjoyed meeting you and, listen, I know things have turned bad and I completely accept if you never want to but," Stiles handed Monica a slip of paper. "This is my number. I would like to keep in touch. I know Derek would…it's not my place but I really hope everything with Jasmine won't make you guys never come again. I mean I never want to see Jasmine again at this point but I know Derek would like to see John again. Not my place to invite you back or anything but I was hoping we could keep in touch."

Monica took the paper and tucked it into her pocket. "You'd really welcome us back?"

"Of course," Stiles said. "Unless you think I should be kicked out of Derek's pack since I'm human as well."

Monica smiled at him. "I think you are perfect for this pack just as you are, Stiles."

"Me too," he said with a smile. "Do you want some help?"

"No," Monica said. "I've got it covered. You can keep me company if you want though."

Stiles nodded and moved over to the chair.

"What did she do?" Monica asked a few minutes later.

"Started off just small things, you are an omega, you are pathetic, and you are just being used by Derek and the pack."

"Lovely."

"I got the impression she hasn't been completely nice to you either."

Monica smiled at him. "You do watch things carefully, don't you. She isn't impressed by any made werewolf, she thinks born ones and better, stronger, more perfect."

"So she doesn't like you being bitten by her brother."

"Or marrying him, or eventually having kids. She keeps it to herself mostly, the occasional comment but John sets her right whenever he sees it. She isn't around us much. She travels and I think she has something going with a werewolf in another pack."

"And she wants Derek."

Monica nodded. "It looked like it from before we even got here, but it became obvious that wasn't going to happen when we arrived and I think that-"

"Proverbial straw?"

"Exactly, plus how…close the two of you are."

"Yeah, that featured quite heavily in the private conversations we had after a while. I didn't realise how obvious I was being before she saw it."

"It's not obvious to Derek."

"Good."

"Why?" Monica asked coming over and sitting at the end of the bed so she could look at Stiles while he answered.

"I think I have now met all of Derek's exes. I don't fill either requirement."

"Requirement?"

"Female," Stiles smiled at her sadly for a moment before shaking himself when winking. "And a little bat-shit crazy."

Monica laughed then covered her mouth suddenly and shook her head. "You're good with the pack. But any human who willing joins a werewolf pack could be considered a little bat-shit."

"I have my dad, but this pack is my family as well."

"Maybe if he knew how you felt and you knew for sure how he feels things would be able to get better. I get the impression you've been interested for a long while."

Stiles nodded. "Too long but I'm not brave enough to say it. Maybe one day. Either that or I'll just be sad old Uncle Stiles who has the good toys and doesn't count how many lollies the kids have."

Monica laughed and looked like she was going to move before she grabbed Stiles' arm. "He protects me, they have had some epic fights and she is better than she used to be. But even an alpha can't change how you think. What I'm trying to say is he will punish her for what she did."

Stiles nodded. "I don't know if it will do any good but I never doubted he would. Derek trusts him to handle it and I trust Derek's instincts."

Monica stood with a decisive nod and went back to packing her and John's things.

"I'll leave you to it," Stiles said. "I hope to hear from you but I'll understand if I don't."

"I will call you," Monica assured him.

"Bye, Monica," Stiles said wrapping his arms around her in a quick hug.

"Goodbye, Stiles."

Stiles turned and walked out of the room and back down the hall. He bypassed his stonily silent pack in the hallway and went upstairs. He was still without a shirt and now cold from the wet pants. He had a couple smears of Lydia's blood on his arm so he stepped into the shower for a quick, hot clean and then redressed. He rubbed his towel over his hair trying to decide if he hoped Jasmine was already gone when he got downstairs or not. Finally he ran out of ways to stall and he went back down.

Lydia had obviously also gone and showered her cuts healing and covered. The rest of the pack was standing around in their still wet clothes watching Stiles walking down the stairs.

"I'm fine, I was cold."

Derek nodded at him but Stiles could tell half of his attention was down the hallway where the two guest rooms were. Jasmine was still here.

"You all calm now?" He asked the rest of his pack.

"Derek explained it to us," Jackson said but Stiles could tell from the look on his face he had not accepted Derek's explanation.

"Good," Stiles said. "I think it's a very sensible idea. Letting the alpha be in charge of consequences."

"She might be let off easily," Lydia said and from the way Derek tensed Stiles knew that wasn't a new argument.

"No, she won't," Stiles said before Derek could. "I trust John to do the right thing, and even if he didn't she won't be coming back."

"No, she won't," Derek said.

"John and Monica can though, right?"

"You would let them?" Derek asked turning to Stiles completely for the first time.

"It's your house; I wouldn't be letting them do anything. But I would welcome them if they did come."

Derek was surprised but after thinking for a moment he realised he really shouldn't be. Derek knew Stiles had gone down to see Monica before his shower while Derek had been trying to explain to his pack that letting Jasmine leave was the best thing to do. Derek had been struggling with his desire to rip Jasmine apart since he'd seen the bruise on Stiles' arm. He was supposed to protect his pack, his entire pack. His feelings for Stiles made all of this worse but the desire to punish the person who'd hurt a member of his pack was something he was familiar with. He'd felt it in every one of the instances that his pack had reminded him of to convince Derek to give into his desire for retribution.

Derek hoped that he was able to remain friends with John but he was prepared for the fact that this could mean that he would never be a welcome acquaintance of John's again.

Derek turned his head but it was Allison coming from upstairs. She'd disappeared to change during the argument less able to stand in cold clothes than the wolves in his pack. She smiled at him tightly before walking over to Stiles. His entire pack was sticking close to Stiles still. They'd known something was happening though. They knew that Jasmine was a threat even if they didn't know she was violent. They had known and Derek had no idea. He should have known. He'd seen that Stiles didn't like her and he'd known how she felt about humans in packs since she had made it obvious enough that first day. He'd never seen anything though but there had been signs and Derek had been too stupid to see them. Stiles not coming to training - he always came to training. The fact his entire pack went to Stiles' for a day instead of coming to Derek's like they normally would. The way the pack had been distant instead of coming over all the time. Derek should have known something was wrong but he'd enjoyed spending time with John, discussing things not all of his pack would or could understand, and he'd ignored it all thinking it was less of a problem than it really was.

Derek blamed himself for not seeing it but he was furious at his pack for not telling him about it when it was obvious they had known and he didn't. They should know better than to keep things like this from him. They should by now understand he would protect every single one of them. When Jasmine was gone, when the threat to his pack was out of his house then he'd have a discussion with his pack about all the ways they'd fucked up. When that was over then he'd focus on all the ways he'd fucked up.

"Doesn't anyone want a cup of tea?" Stiles finally said stepping away from his pack and heading for the kitchen. The rest of the wolves followed him but Derek remained where he was. He would not move until she was out of his house. There was only one way for her to get from her room to his pack and he was going to be standing in the way.

A few minutes later, Derek heard Stiles coming out of the kitchen. "Sit the hell down seriously," obviously directed back to the rest of the pack in the kitchen.

"Here," Stiles said handing Derek a mug of tea. "I thought it might help."

"Thanks," Derek said taking a sip and then putting the tea down on the unbroken hall table.

"Are you just going to stand guard here until they leave?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Stiles disappeared and then moments later he's back standing next to Derek and sipping his own cup of…peppermint tea. The smell was soothing as was Stiles' presence, not that Derek really wanted to admit it.

"Do you think you'll be able to stay friends with John?" Stiles asked a few minutes later cutting through Derek's focus on the hallway.

"I hope so, but she is his sister."

Stiles nodded. "Thank you."

Derek spun and looked at Stiles; there was nothing that Stiles could possibly have to thank him for. "What for?"

"For not attacking Jasmine, for leaving her to John, for telling her that I saved your life."

"Stiles, don't thank me for leaving Jasmine be, if I didn't like John so much I wouldn't have been able to stop myself. She hurt you deliberately."

"I'm glad you didn't regardless, it would have just made her angrier. She wants you back."

"I'm not interested." Derek said. "And I was never hers."

"She didn't know that. She kept telling me how things were going to change when she was a part of the pack, when she was your mate and she had control."

"She would have never been my mate. I don't have one."

"Oh." Stiles said and then took another sip of his tea.

"And Stiles," Derek reached out and rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I was being truthful when I said you saved my life, that you'd saved all our lives. You have more than earned your place in the pack, not that you ever needed to but if you did you've done so time and time again. She's wrong, you belong here."

Stiles beamed at him. "It's nice to hear that sometimes but I know and I'm not going anywhere."

Derek smiled. He wanted to pull Stiles close and tell him that he loved him, that he wanted to kill that bitch for thinking she could talk to Stiles like she had. Tell him that he was everything Derek wanted out of a mate and that he wanted to do something terrible to himself for allowing it to happen under his nose, in his own house. But he bit his lip and held it in and reminded himself that this was just more of a reason to keep his distance. If Stiles became anything more than he already was in the pack then he would be vulnerable to more attacks like this one. Derek would be vulnerable to more attacks like this one. More likely though Stiles would be very polite, very sweet and he'd yank Derek's heart out of his chest when he told Derek that he cared for the werewolf but he just wasn't interested.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise what was happening." Derek said instead.

"They knew Laura, you wanted to spend time with them. Jasmine took advantage. It isn't your fault. I made sure no one told you."

"Don't do that again. You, everyone in the pack are more important than people I knew a long time ago," Derek said firmly.

Derek wanted to say more when he heard John and his pack moving down the hallway. He heard his own pack moving in the kitchen, they had been able to hear the other pack too. Moments later, John appeared in the hallway. Jasmine coming behind with her head down. He could hear the rest of the pack moving behind Stiles. John stopped in front of Derek but Jasmine and Monica kept moving out the door. Derek watched her until the door closed firmly behind her. If she was willing to break Stiles' nose when everyone was watching he really didn't want to think about what she would be capable of now that she had nothing to lose.

"I'm sorry about her behaviour, Derek," John said when he had Derek's attention. "She knows better than this."

"It's not your fault, John," Derek said.

John nodded. "Stiles…Monica mentioned your conversation. I hope that we are able to take you up on your offer."

Stiles stepped forward and held his hand out to John. John gripped his hand and shook it. "It was very nice to meet you, John, I hope we meet again."

Stiles tried pulled his hand back but John kept a grip. "Stiles, I know my sister is prejudiced against humans in werewolf packs not that I realised how bad it was but she is wrong, Stiles. I can see why Derek made you part of his pack, a very valuable one if your aim is any indication."

Stiles smiled at him. "Thanks."

Derek stepped forward when John and Stiles let go.

"Goodbye," John said to the pack behind Stiles. They all said their goodbyes and wished him a safe journey.

"I'll see you out," Derek said smiling at John.

"Not quite how I expected us to be leaving," John said when they were standing on the porch. Derek could see Jasmine and Monica sitting in the car.

"Neither did I," Derek said with a sigh.

"She never used to be so prejudiced."

Derek nodded. "I don't remember her being that bad."

"I'll sort it out," John said. "Thank you for leaving it to me."

"That's the way things are done," Derek reminded him.

"Yes, but given that she picked Stiles I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd lost a little control."

"Stiles?"

John looked at him. "Oh, Derek, don't be stupid of course I've noticed. You should hurry up and do something."

"He's not," Derek said. "I'm not. It's not."

"Right," John said. "Forget it."

"He's part of my pack but it's nothing more than that."

"Exactly how he feels as well," John said.

Derek nodded. John punched him on the arm and shook his head.

"I will keep in touch better this time."

"Really?" Derek asked.

"Stiles gave Monica his phone number. Seems he would like to keep in touch with us. So really, how can I hold a grudge when it was Jasmine's fault."

Derek grinned at him. "I'm really happy about that."

"Good," John let out a deep breath and his face hardened. "We had best be off. I'll call you."

"Bye, John," Derek said. "Pass it along to Monica. I hope things get better with Jasmine."

John nodded and with a final handshake he walked out to the car. Derek stood on the verandah until the car disappeared and the door opened behind him.

"They're gone?" Allison asked.

"Yeah."

"Come on, Derek." Stiles said. "Come inside, I'm sure you'll hear from John again."

Derek nodded and walked inside with his pack.

Stiles pulled him into the kitchen. "Your tea will be cold. I'll make you a new one."

"I'll make the tea. I can't poison anyone boiling water," Jackson said.

"No," Derek said. "None of us changed after being caught outside. Everyone upstairs and into dry clothes."

"Perfect," Stiles said. "Allison and I will make tea."

Allison followed Stiles into the kitchen but Derek grabbed Lydia's hand and nodded up the stairs. She frowned but followed him. Derek waited until all of his pack was at the top of the stairs before he turned on them. He watched them all for a moment and against his better judgement he started to pace.

"Obviously, I have somehow made you four idiots think that just because I have never been much of a dictator that I am not your alpha." Derek turned to them all, allowed himself to half transform, his mouth full of teeth, his eyes electric blue, and his fingers tipped with vicious claws. "If any of you ever fucking let someone take advantage of your pack mate without telling me again, I can assure you I will leave you no doubt as to exactly what punishment is. Do you understand?"

"Derek." Lydia started stepping forward.

"No!" Derek bellowed out, his voice deep and terrifying the wolf just shy of breaking out. "I know I should have seen it so don't start, Lydia. But I didn't. Your job as a pack is to take care of your pack mates. You should have told me. I wouldn't have allowed her to hurt him like that."

"Stiles told us not to." Danny said. "If we had known she turned physical we never would have…he said she had been rude to him. Called him an omega. We never would have kept it from you if we knew what she was doing."

"You know we would never allow something to happen to him, he's our family," Scott said. "I would never allow anything to happen to him. He never told us it was anything worse than her telling him that he shouldn't be here and implying he was an omega. If we'd known how bad she was we never would have agreed to keep it from you."

Derek could hear the guilt in what his pack was saying. They hadn't known how bad it was and they all felt they should have just like Derek. Derek was glad they realised how desperately bad this could have been. He wasn't letting them off the hook, just being mean to Stiles and bullying him was enough to have been mentioned to Derek.

"I don't care. I don't care if he makes you swear a blood oath not to tell me if something is going on. If someone is harassing of one of the pack you need to tell me. That is my job as alpha, to protect you, to help you." Derek started pacing again his eyes flicking between green and electric blue.

"He's okay. We were taking care of him," Lydia said.

"I know but I should have…if I'd known she wouldn't have had a chance to hurt him like that." Derek said looking at them all his pale green eyes uncomfortably vulnerable. He turned and left the room walking into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

/\/\/\


	13. 13 - FTDGASAOTHE – 06 – Apartment – Part 02

**13 -** **FTDGASAOTHE – 06 –** **Apartment** **– Part 02**

Derek drove them back to Beacon Hills and Stiles lasted three hours after they were home before he kicked Derek from where he was sitting on the couch and glared at him.

"What?" Derek asked massaging his thigh and glaring at Stiles.

"Stop being a prat."

"What?"

"You have been painfully nice since you kicked Jasmine out of the house. Let it go, it's over."

Derek stood up and went into the kitchen. "What do you want for dinner? I'm cooking tonight."

"Stupid prat." Stiles called out. "But if you are going to be like this I want Chinese, with extra wontons."

"Okay." Derek said grabbing his phone.

"How long are you going to do this for?" Stiles asked poking Derek in the arm.

"I'm not doing anything." Derek defended.

"It's not your fault." Stiles said standing up to grab them both a drink.

"But I didn't help either." Derek said quietly.

"Sure you did. You kicked her out on her arse."

"Not enough." Derek muttered, staring fixedly at the menu in front of him.

"I can take care of myself, Derek. I am big and strong and know for a fact that I am hideously important to the pack."

Stiles sat back down, grabbed a pen and circled two dishes on the menu; Derek nodded and called in their order.

"You are important to me, Stiles." Derek said looking at him finally.

"Tell me about Laura."

"She was funny, she was so strong, when the fire happened she came back and just handled everything. I don't know how she did it. I couldn't cope."

"I wish I had known her."

"She would have taken one look at you and dragged you and Scott into our pack and hit me every time I was mean to you."

Stiles laughed.

"What was your mum like?" Derek asked quietly.

"She loved to sing, and she was not great but she sang all the time. She'd sing about what she was doing or the song on the radio or the one in the shopping centre. She'd dance too; I remember her picking me up and spinning me around the living room to a song. She was happy a lot, she would smile at me when she tucked me into bed after a nightmare and I knew things would be okay. She always told me not to worry about the ADHD that I was special. She gave the best hugs."

Stiles and Derek sat quietly waiting for their food.

Over the two weeks that it took them to settle back into their normal rhythm they shared little parts about the families they'd lost. Sharing things they had never talked about with anyone in years. Becoming the very thing they both needed even though Stiles still wished he could talk to his dad and Derek still wished someone in his life had known Laura. Both of them knowing this at least was better than almost anything that they had had for years and worth more than people like Jasmine in their lives.

/\/\/\

Derek was waiting outside of Stiles' class when the human walked out rubbing his hand and stretching it out. Stiles saw Derek and grinned. Derek waited while Stiles said goodbye to MJ who smiled over at him before she and a couple of other guys from the class walked off. Stiles walked over to him, excitement putting a slight bounce in his step even though exhaustion was keeping him from moving very quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles asked when he was standing before Derek.

"You had a test," Derek said taking in the tired lines around Stiles' eyes and stamping down on the desire to take him home and tuck them both into bed.

"I know." Stiles turned and began walking towards their apartment.

"Did you want to go out with your friends? I thought I might take you to that kebab place in celebration of the fact you have the test out of the way and can now sleep."

"They are all going home to sleep. Kebabs sound amazing, can we take them home though?" Stiles asked turning in the direction of the kebab place instead.

"Course. I would have grabbed them and met you at home but my lecture went late today and it seemed easier to wait for you." Derek said watching Stiles from the corner of his eye.

"No, this is good. I would have passed out on the couch before you got there." Stiles said with a grin.

They walked for a while in silence. Derek watched Stiles who was walking slowly and tiredly blinking too often. Derek wondered if he should send Stiles home and walk to the shop by himself. He was about to suggest it when he felt it; the unmistakable prickle of someone following him.

Derek stepped closer to Stiles so he could talk into his ear. Stiles stumbled at the sudden contact and Derek closed his hand around Stiles' elbow to help him stay upright.

"Someone is following us." Derek mumbled in Stiles' ear.

"Who?" Stiles asked managing to stop himself from turning around to look.

"I'm not sure, when we get to that building turn and walk behind it, keep going and I will find out who it is."

They reached the building and Stiles turned walking on a small way and then ducking behind a column so he could see who it was too. Moments later the man who had squirted Derek with aconite rounded the corner, his eyes darting around looking for them. Suddenly a hand covered Stiles' mouth and he gasped before ramming an elbow back into the warm body behind him. He realised it was Derek as his weight fell forward and bent Stiles over tucking him up into Derek's body. Derek shoved him forward and dropped his hands to his knees breathing deliberately slowly.

"Sorry." Stiles whispered.

Derek nodded accepting the apology for the surprising elbow and not correcting Stiles that his biggest problem right now was the instant erection he'd gotten when he was bent over with Stiles curled in front of him.

"Come on." Derek said moments later grabbing Stiles' elbow and leading him from the hidden alcove. They walked quickly but without rushing. "We'll go through that patch of woods to get home so I can confront him and find out who he is. When I do you need to run, as fast as you can and go home."

"Yeah right." Stiles said. "I am not going anywhere. The last time we saw him he made you half blind for a week. This time we are going to confront him together just in case."

"It's going to be dangerous. You need to go home." Derek said stepping from the paved path and into the trees that barely could be called a wood but which everyone avoided because there were no lights or proper paths. Derek heard the snap of a twig behind them that told him that the man was still following them. Derek and Stiles kept walking until they were far enough in that someone passing would not be able to see Derek if he needed to transform. Derek stopped and turned keeping Stiles, who refused to go on without him, behind him.

The man kept walking not bothered by the fact Derek and Stiles were now waiting for him. He stopped a few steps from Derek but he spoke to Stiles.

"I know you are human, you can leave." The man said looking at Stiles.

"Who are you?" Stiles asked.

"Joshua."

"Why are you following us?" Derek growled stepping just a little more directly in front of Stiles.

"Because you are a werewolf and I hunt you filthy mutts. I am here to make sure you don't hurt anyone else at this school." Joshua said with a sneer.

"Anyone else?" Stiles asked popping his head up above Derek's shoulder, Derek growled at him so Stiles dropped back down.

"I read about the last person here. I won't let you hurt anyone else. I will kill you if I need to and anyone else you have damned with your curse."

Stiles didn't see the quick move, didn't see the flash of light on the silver blade as it flicked out swiftly and slashed over Derek's chest. He did see the shock in Derek's shoulders and the way he stumbled just a little. Stiles reached out for Derek as Joshua turned and paused turning back to Stiles.

"I'd leave him, human, before you get dragged down to hell with him." Joshua said before turning and running away from Derek and Stiles who was desperately trying to keep Derek from falling over.

Stiles lowered Derek to the floor and knelled next to him so he could see what had been done. Derek's shirt gaped open where there was a long red stained cut in the fabric. Stiles spread it and looked at the wound below. It was deep and bleeding and Derek was breathing quickly.

"Aconite again?" Stiles asked trying to work out where to put his hands.

"No, something else. It stings but it is not poison." Derek said his eyes electric blue and his hand reaching out to grasp Stiles'. "I need to get back to the apartment."

"Right, okay." Stiles stood and lifted Derek's shoulders until he was sitting. "The next bit is going to hurt."

Derek held out his arm and between the two of them they got Derek upright, the blood now coming out fast, Derek's face ash white in a mimic of that terrible night when Stiles thought he was going to have to cut off Derek's arm. He couldn't cut off Derek's torso. Stiles pushed Derek until he was leaning against a tree and then pulled the two sides of his coat together and zipped him into it. Stiles lifted Derek's arm and pushed himself into the space created, pulling Derek away from the tree, and starting towards the apartment. On a good night when he was walking normally it would take him ten minutes to get home from that spot.

Stiles looked down at his feet and started counting steps, anything to keep him from thinking about the blood darkening Derek's jeans (40 steps and push Derek's shoulder a little higher) or the pained moans the werewolf was trying to keep in (56) or the fact that without knowing what was in the wound he had no idea how to treat it (110 tighten his hold around Derek's waist slipping his fingers under the leather of his belt). In all of his readings he had never looked at random symptoms from different substances with enough care to know what had been done to Derek (200). He needed to get Derek home so he could do something, anything (350).

Finally Stiles pressed Derek into the wall next to their door (18,897), he fumbled the key into the lock and threw the door open sliding his shoulder under Derek's to get him to the arm of the couch. Stiles unzipped the jacket and threw it on the floor, ripped the rest of the front of Derek's shirt and pushing it off his shoulders to join the jacket. Stiles looked at the damage, the cut looked worse than it had before but the blood was trickling out more slowly now.

"Stay there." Stiles said rushing away to find something to put beneath Derek before grabbing a bowl of water and antiseptic. He came back into the living room just as Derek was starting to sway. He rushed over and laid the towel out below him before leaning him back slowly.

"I'm go-ing to pass…out. I don know wh-at he ussss-ed." Derek mumbled brokenly just before he turned to dead weight in Stiles' arms.

"Shit, shit, shit." Stiles chanted fumbling his mobile out as he started swiping at the blood all over Derek's chest and abdomen staying away from the actual wound until someone picked up.

"Stiles?" Scott said when he answered the phone.

"Scott, is the vet there? I need his help."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Derek, get me the vet now!" Stiles barked into the phone.

"Mr Stilinski." The vet said into the phone.

"Someone stabbed Derek and it's not aconite, at least that's what he said but he passed out and it's not even that deep and you need to help me."

"Mr Stilinski, is the wound bleeding?"

"Yes."

"Red blood?"

"Yes."

"Is it secreting anything?"

"No, it's just bleeding. I didn't even see the knife."

"I see, what are you washing the wound with?"

"Nothing, I didn't want to start until I knew what to do."

"Smell the wound."

Stiles leaned forward and sniffed the wound as he pulled away Derek started to convulse. "Shit, shit, he's having a fit."

"Wash the wound with water and disinfectant. When it is washed gather together some gauze, lemons, and rice."

Stiles washed the wound quickly and thoroughly before scurrying into the kitchen for rice and one of the lemons he kept buying since the last incident with Joshua.

"Okay, what do I do?"

"Lay down some gauze down over the wound and pack it with rice."

"What?" Stiles did as the vet said with hands much steadier than he thought possible.

"The rice will suck the liquid from the wound. The gauze is to protect the wound from the chance of rice getting stuck when Derek begins to heal. The lemon is for later. Change the rice every half hour. When you get to the first batch that doesn't soak in any blood drown the wound in lemon juice and wrap it. If he isn't awake by the morning call me and I will come up there."

"Do you know what it is?" Stiles asked as he looked at Derek's sickly pale face.

"I have an idea. Don't throw any of the bloody things away; pack it all up in a sealed container or zip lock back and store it in your fridge. Scott was coming to see you this weekend, he'll collect it for me and I will look into it."

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Mr Stilinski. I believe Scott would like to speak to you." The vet handed the phone over to Scott who was pacing next to him and eavesdropping.

"Stiles? I'll be there tonight. Do I need to call everyone?"

"No, no stay. You're supposed to have dinner with your mum tonight. Call everyone and tell them Derek's been hurt but not to come. If he isn't awake in the morning I will call everyone and then you can come."

"Stiles." Scott turned his back to the vet. "Are you okay? I can come for you."

"I'll be fine. I am fine. I wasn't stabbed so I'll be fine." Stiles said into the phone wanting to collapse suddenly.

"Stiles."

"No, Scott. I will be fine, Derek will be fine. Go to dinner with your mum and call me tomorrow…please." Stiles dropped his chin onto his chest and let out a long sigh.

"Okay, I'll call you in the morning. If anything changes call me." Scott ordered down the phone.

"Okay, I need to go. Bye." Stiles hung up the phone half way through Scott's goodbye and then busied himself tucking all the bloody cloths into a bag, emptying and washing the disinfectant bowl, tucking everything but the rice and the lemon away where it was supposed to be. He set an alarm on his clock for every half hour until morning and then started cleaning. The fridge and freezer, the cupboard under the sink, the bathroom, the laundry - hunting out all the washing he could find and soaking Derek's jacket, coming back to change the rice. Vacuuming with one eye on Derek in case the noise annoyed him, going around with a broom to find cobwebs, redoing the cupboard under the sink. When there was nothing left to clean Stiles crawled into the clean shower and washed the blood and sweat and fear from him body as quickly as he could before coming back into the lounge room in nothing but a towel to check on Derek - no change. He got dressed and lifted Derek's head to rest on his thigh after changing the blood red rice again and sunk down into the cushions so tired and terrified he couldn't close his eyes and he couldn't keep them open. Before he even thought about what he was doing he'd leaned down and pressed his lips to Derek's pulling away quickly when he realised what he had done.

Stiles pressed himself back against the couch his face flushed and worried but Derek's didn't stir or move or react. He simply laid there still as death and twice as pale. Stiles laid his hand over Derek's heart to make sure it was still beating biting his lip because it was slow and choppy. Stiles didn't mean to close his eyes or fall asleep but the next thing he knew he was jerking awake to the sound of his alarm.

Ten changes later the rice he pulled from Derek's wound was just barely pink. Stiles opened the lemon and pulled the gauze away squeezing the juice straight onto the wound but even then Derek didn't move or flinch. To be sure Stiles went and got another lemon and repeated the process before balancing Derek's heavy torso on his arm and wrapping the wound tightly and generously. When that was done Stiles changed his alarms to every hour and settled himself back under Derek's head. His hand on Derek's chest was met with a slightly faster and steadier beat lulling Stiles back to sleep.

The next time Stiles woke up his hand was pressed down into Derek's chest by Derek's hand but the werewolf's head was tucked into Stiles' side his breath warming Stiles' hipbone. Stiles wanted to pull the bandage back and check the wound but he didn't want to disturb Derek's sleep. Stiles looked down at Derek for a while until his eyelids grew heavy again and he fell asleep. When he woke up the next time Derek was staring at the ceiling his fingers running back and forth along Stiles' forearm.

"Derek?" Stiles asked.

"Morning, Stiles." Derek said his eyes flicking up to meet Stiles'.

"How are you feeling?"

"Weak and tired." Derek admitted.

"I called the vet."

"What did he say?"

"He told me to send the bloody cloths to him so he can work out what was used."

Derek knew Stiles would need to check the wound, change the bandage, but he didn't want him to move just yet.

The sound of Stiles' mobile was loud enough to make Derek flinch and then grunt at the pain radiating from the wound in the middle of his chest. "Derek?" Stiles said while he reached for the mobile and answered the call from Scott.

"I'm fine." Derek said letting his head rest on Stiles' thigh just a little more heavily.

"Scott." Stiles' fingers without any input from his brain carded through Derek's hair soothing him and letting sleep overtake the werewolf again.

"How's Derek?"

"Awake." Stiles looked down and realised that Derek was asleep at the same time that he realised it was Derek's soft black hair that was sliding over the skin of his fingers.

"Stiles!"

"What?"

"I asked how the wound is."

"Oh, I'm not sure. He fell back to sleep before I had a chance to check it but he was awake earlier." Stiles said letting his head drop back against the back of the couch unable to convince his fingers to stop moving.

"Should I come today?" Scott asked.

"If you want, but I don't think you need to rush. You were coming tomorrow anyway. Plus Derek is still weak and I'm not sure if any more activity would be good, he'd probably get growly."

Scott's laughter was loud in Stiles' ear and he felt himself smile knowing that Derek was going to be okay.

"How would that be any different to how he is normally?" Scott asked.

"Not a huge deal but when he's in pain he is more likely to shove people into things."

"Try your hardest then." Scott said barely hiding the laugh in his voice.

"Smart arse. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll call everyone and let them know Derek's okay."

"Thanks, Scott. Bye."

"Bye."

Stiles hung up the phone and snagged the remote with his foot so he didn't have to move and disturb Derek before turning the TV on quietly and waiting for Derek to wake up again.

An hour later Stiles was engrossed completely in a rerun of Buffy trying to work out if Buffy would have any luck against his werewolf and perving on Willow so he didn't notice Derek open his eyes and look up at him. Derek let him continue to watch and just enjoyed the way Stiles' face displayed his every thought when he was watching something he enjoyed. Finally Stiles looked down at Derek and smiled when he realised Derek was awake.

"How do you feel?" Stiles asked.

"Better."

"Good, I need to check the wound."

"Yeah."

Stiles pulled out from under Derek's head and went into the bathroom to grab the things he needed. When he got back Derek had wedged himself up higher on the cushions. Stiles undid the bandage around Derek and pressed him back into the cushions. The wound didn't look like it was healing but it wasn't as horrid looking as it had been the day before.

"It was the strangest thing." Stiles started. He was about to continue when his mobile rang.

"Hello?" He said when he'd opened it and seen 'Beacon Hills Vet' on the screen.

"Mr Stilinski."

"Yes, hello, Dr Deaton."

"Have you re-dressed Mr Hale's wound yet?"

"No. I was just about to."

"Excellent." The vet started. "Bath it in salt water please."

"Okay," Stiles stood and walked towards the kitchen to get a large bowl of salt water. "Dr Deaton, I have never heard of using rice in a wound before and honestly it's a bit weird."

"And you probably never will again Mr Stilinski; it is a practice that has not been used by anyone is a long, long time. There are much more well-known things that have been used over time to draw poisons out of wounds but they are not found in many homes. Rice however will work and is very common, the main issue with it being the starch. Luckily by changing the packing regularly you avoid most of the problem."

"It seemed to have worked though, Derek's awake." Stiles said as he put the bowl down on the coffee table and sat next to Derek again.

"Good. How is the wound?"

"Still very red, and it doesn't seem to be healing very well."

"As I suspected. This time don't dress the wound, let it breathe and wash it every hour. Whatever was on the knife will be inhibiting the healing process. The rice should have helped with that somewhat but the salt will help more. If you are worried about anything give me a call."

"Thank you very much, Dr Deaton."

"Not a problem, Mr Stilinski. You may dress the wound tonight before Mr Hale goes to bed as moving will inevitably result in it bleeding more."

"Okay I will."

Stiles and the vet said their goodbyes and Stiles dropped the phone back onto the table.

"Did you hear all that?"

"Of course." Derek said. "Rice?"

"It's okay there is none in the wound."

"I didn't think there would be." Derek said.

"It seemed to have worked. I don't know what he used and you're awake so I don't care." Stiles said ringing out the cloth. "This is probably going to hurt."

"It is definitely going to hurt. Now hurry up."

Stiles grinned at Derek and washed the wound out keeping his eyes away from Derek's face where he knew his discomfort would be showing. When Stiles was finished he cleaned up trying not to look at the open wound, still angry and red a great slash across his torso.

"Stiles." Derek started before he was interrupted by Stiles' stomach rumbling.

"When was the last time you ate?" Derek asked.

"I don't know. Probably lunch yesterday." Stiles said trying to remember.

"You need to eat." Derek said poking Stiles in the arm to get him to move.

"You should eat too, what would you like?"

"Whatever you are making for yourself." Derek said letting his head fall back onto the back of the couch and listening to Stiles moving around in the kitchen obviously making them toasted sandwiches.

A while later Stiles came back into the room with a large plate of toasted cheese sandwiches and another with fruit and carrot on it. At Derek's raised eyebrow Stiles shrugged. "You are healing and that is all the fruit and veg we have."

"Okay," Derek said grabbing a sandwich and a carrot.

"Good. Do you want to go back to sleep?" Stiles asked.

"No, let's watch more Supernatural, after all Dean cannot actually stay in hell."

"Oh Derek, this is awesome. You haven't met Cas yet, he rocks." Stiles said bouncing up to put the DVD in and going to get some drinks, anything that Derek might enjoy.

They spent their day watching Supernatural with breaks for Stiles to bath the wound and fuss around Derek; which the alpha accepted with a sleepy grin feeling a lot more tired and weary than he was trying to let on seeing the worry around Stiles' eyes already.

The next day Scott visited and Derek had to have Scott forcibly remove Stiles from the apartment before he would go. Even then every hour like clockwork he received a call from Stiles to check on him. Finally Derek had ordered Scott to steal Stiles' phone and not let him have it again.

By that night his wound was beginning to heal, slowly at first but he could feel it reknitting as he tried to sleep. By Tuesday he was left with nothing but a scar that would fade over time, Stiles was still hovering a little in between classes and studying.

"Stiles! Sit down." Derek growled on Thursday.

"What?"

"You have to stop. I am completely healed."

"You still have a scar."

"Which is fading rapidly."

"I'm not sure that changes the fact that you have one."

"Stiles. I'm fine, stop worrying about me."

"You scared me." Stiles admitted quietly.

"I'm fine."

"We don't even know what was used, what if he comes back?" Stiles asked.

"Then we'll be ready." Derek said.

Stiles stood up and walked from the room Derek could hear him pulling things out of the fridge and cupboard and moving around the kitchen turning his iPod on and working on something. Derek thumped his head back into the back of the couch. This was one of Stiles' coping mechanisms; he cooked or cleaned. Derek had found it odd right up until Scott had explained in a way that said he had obviously thought Derek was smarter than that – Stiles' mum had died and his dad was devastated and he'd started cooking and cleaning because someone had to and his dad was working too much.

Derek knew Stiles had cleaned while he'd been passed out from the smell when he'd woken up so the only thing left was cooking. Derek left Stiles to it, he'd come back when he was ready and would be much more willing to talk since he would have thought his way through whatever was wrong. Derek opened his laptop and started catching up on some more of his readings and weekly tasks he should have been doing when he was recuperating instead.

Two hours later Derek heard Stiles start doing the dishes and finished his paragraph before going in and grabbing the tea towel. They worked next to one another for a while cleaning all the dishes before Stiles finally spoke.

"I don't think we should confront Joshua unless the whole pack is here."

Derek wiped the pot thinking. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You keep getting hurt. We have seen this guy twice and he has caught us by surprise both times."

"I would know not to underestimate him next time."

"When he brings a gun, shoots you with a wolfsbane bullet, and I have to cut your arm off for real this time?"

"Stiles."

"Would you put it past him?" Stiles asked.

"No." Derek said not saying anything else while he kept wiping. "What do you think we should do?" He asked finally when Stiles was finished washing everything.

"I think we should avoid him." Stiles said. "Just walk the other way until we know more. Try to get a photo or a last name, something we can use to get more information and find out who is he. Plus there was something he said about seeing what you did to someone. I think we need to find out what he is talking about there too."

"What did you make?"

"Pie, lasagne, and macaroni cheese. We need to go shopping we don't have anything left in the fridge except some yoghurt and a very sad looking lettuce."

"Okay." Derek said putting the last of the dishes away and leaving the kitchen to go back to his computer while Stiles pulled out a textbook and read in a curled up ball on one of the chairs.

It wasn't until that night when they were standing next to one another in the bathroom that Derek finally spoke. "It's a good idea; we'll do what you suggested about Joshua."

"So next time we see him."

"Run away." Derek said quietly unable to completely stomach the idea.

"I know you don't want to run away, I know you want to stand and fight but we don't know enough about him yet to know what we are doing and you always say a werewolf is strongest when they are with their pack."

"It's the right decision Stiles even if I don't like it."

Stiles nodded and Derek said goodnight disappearing into his bedroom.

It was still several weeks before they both stopped worrying if the other was late coming home, weeks before they didn't just happen to have finished studying when the other was going to be leaving class or just be planning on going to the library or bookshop or something when the other needed to leave for class. Even then they were just waiting for the other to come back.

/\/\/\

Derek grabbed the spout and swung it to the side to wash out his lunch container when he heard steps behind him. He turned the tap off and was swinging the spout back around when he turned at Stiles' gasp. Standing in the kitchen doorway was Stiles wearing the tiniest towel Derek had ever seen which didn't do anything to hide anything. Derek was caught, but he didn't **want** to look away even though he knew he should. The last time Stiles had been this undressed in front of him he had been distracted with other things, namely getting that other man's smell off Stiles' body.

Derek let his eyes rake over Stiles' torso as both of them were frozen where they stood. Stiles was all long, firm bands of muscle, strong toned arms, slim hips, the lines of his waist drawing Derek's eyes as he had to force himself not to just walk over, press Stiles into the wall and devour what was hidden beneath the world's smallest towel. Derek's eyes were caught on the line of dark hair trailing from Stiles' belly button. Derek wondered how it would taste if he went over and just licked him, all the way down beneath the towel.

Derek's eyes were finally yanked away from Stiles' body when the man in front of him spoke.

"Sorry, I didn't think you were home."

"Class finished early. It's fine," Derek yanked his eyes away from Stiles' body looking just past his shoulder.

Stiles opened the fridge and grabbed the drink he had come for before turning and leaving the room.

Derek watched him leave, the long lines of his back walking away, and the spectacular arse hiding under that towel. Where the hell had that tiny fucking towel come from?

Derek turned around and looked at the spout in his hand, which was now spectacularly mangled, the indent of each of his fingers could be seen along the length of it and the opening was pointing to the roof instead of the sink. Derek slowly and carefully pulled his fingers from the metal and stood staring at it but all he was seeing was Stiles.

"Stiles, I'm going out; I broke the sink." Derek called before grabbing his keys and wallet and leaving as quickly as he could with a raging hard on.

When he got home, before he fixed the sink he had a shower which was cold. Though that did nothing to stop his hand wrapping around his cock for two furiously fast wanks while he pictured Stiles bent over their kitchen table while Derek fucked him and Stiles begged for more.

He got out of the shower when he was sure he wasn't going to attack Stiles the first time he saw him and went to fix the sink. Stiles was standing, fully dressed, staring at it.

"What happened?"

"I slipped and was holding it. Accident." Derek said grabbing the new spout and moving over to the sink.

"So you want a hand?"

"No, it's fine." Derek said allowing his head to fall down onto his chest once Stiles had walked back to his bedroom. He was so completely and utterly fucked.

/\/\/\

Stiles woke instantly grabbing his phone and mumbling into it.

"'Lo?"

"Stiles." He recognised Allison's voice instantly.

"Allison, what's wrong. Where are you?"

"Beacon Hills. I need your help. Can you come? Please?"

"Okay, what's happening?" Stiles asked as he rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants, grabbing a shirt and jumper before rummaging for his keys and wallet.

"We had a fight. I don't know where he went. He shifted and ran and I'm worried about him, Stiles. I can't go after him but…"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Stiles opened the door and found Derek standing on the other side holding his own keys and Stiles' wallet. He was fully dressed.

The sound of Stiles' phone had pulled Derek awake. It was early in the morning which meant something must be wrong. Allison's voice reached him through both doors which meant something is either wrong with Scott or there is something she didn't want him to know. Derek could hear Stiles agreeing to go there, getting dressed and before Derek had even really thought about it he was out of bed and pulling on some clothes, he found his keys on the kitchen table next to Stiles' and went to waiting in front of Stiles' door.

Stiles stared at him for a moment. Blinked at him a couple of times. "You're up?"

"I am now. Come on let's go." Derek grabbed the scarf off Stiles' door handle and wrapped it around his neck. "It's cold out." He mumbled.

"Allison, we'll be there as soon as we can. Go home. I will call you when I find him." Stiles said into the phone.

"Oh, Stiles, I don't want Scott to get in trouble. Don't bring Derek. It's all my fault really."

"He won't get in trouble. I will sort him out. I'll take care of it, Allison. It will be okay." Stiles comforted through the phone as Derek started the Camaro and pulled out on the road only speeding a little.

"Stiles…" Allison never finished her sentence.

"I know. I'll look after him."

"Thanks, can you stay on the phone. Until I'm home?" she asks sounding sad and in desperate need of a hug.

"Of course. How is uni?"

Alison let out a watery laugh and rattled off information about her course as she walked home and Stiles watched the scenery flash by out the window.

After she was home and said goodbye Stiles tried Scott's phone but his friend didn't answer. Stiles left a message telling Scott to stop being a butthead and call him.

Stiles fell asleep some way into the drive, his head resting against his seatbelt, arms crossed across his chest.

Derek watched him from the corner of his eye. That was the problem with Stiles. He was always there for everyone else and so willing to do things for people when it would negatively impact on him. He should be at home sleeping, getting ready to write the big assignment due in a week. Instead he was in a car sleeping against a window and off to save Scott again.

When they drove into town and the car slowed down Stiles stirred, mumbling Derek's name. Derek knew it was nothing but his stomach clenched just a little at the sound of his name mumbled by Stiles in that half-asleep voice like they'd just woken up together. He wanted to hear his name like that more, all the time. Every damned day.

Derek turned down his driveway sensing Scott in the woods. "He's in the woods near that huge rock outcropping."

"Yeah I thought he might be." Stiles said stretching and yawning in the passenger seat.

"Why?"

"It's where we have always gone when we were upset and wanted to get away." Stiles said.

"We'll have to walk." Derek said parking as close as he could.

"No." Stiles said grabbing Derek's wrist before he could open his door. "This is about Scott I need to go alone. If you are there he won't talk to me the same way."

"I don't want you walking through the woods alone."

"Is there anyone here?"

"Only Scott." Derek said. "That doesn't change anything."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I was hanging out in these woods way before you came along to protect me."

"That in no way makes me want to let you go. You are a trouble magnet, Stiles."

"I am not a trouble magnet. There is no one around and Scott is here so I'm sure he will protect me if something were to happen. It will take me five minutes to get there from here."

Derek swept his eyes around the trees before nodding. After Stiles was out of sight Derek climbed out of the car and waited, listening in case something changed. When Stiles made it to Scott Derek climbed back into the car and drove away.

Later that morning after Derek had slept Stiles called him to ask when he wanted to go home.

"Whenever you are ready, is everything sorted out with Scott?"

"Yeah, Allison's dad cornered Scott the other day and then Allison and Scott had a huge fight about it last night. Scott got annoyed and ran away. It's sorted, he just called me to say he and Allison are having coffee and trying to work it out." Stiles told him over the phone. "Do you want me to come to you?"

"Can you get here?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. Dad's got work this morning so he can drop me off."

"Sure, that's good. I would like to do a couple of things around the house since I'm home."

"About an hour?"

"Sure. See you then." Derek hung up and went to chop up the tree that had fallen in a storm while he'd been away for firewood and mend the bit of fence it had taken out.

An hour later Derek heard the sheriff's car coming up the driveway. He dropped the dish towel and went to open the door. He waved to the sheriff as Stiles got out of the car. The sheriff waved back and then drove away leaving Stiles in the driveway waving at his dad.

Stiles turned around and started walking towards the house, he was wearing a pair of sunglasses until he made it to the porch then with a shrug pushed them up and Derek saw the dark bruising around Stiles' eye.

"Stiles!" Derek growled at the younger man as soon as he got into the house.

Stiles smiled at him. "Morning, Derek."

"What the hell did he do to you?" Derek moved over, gripped Stiles' chin and tilted his head back so he could get a good look at his eye.

"We got into a fight. It's okay this was all human he wasn't wolfed out during the fight."

"That isn't good enough," Derek said trailing his fingers along the edge of the blue bruise around Stiles' left eye. "Even completely in control he is stronger than you."

"Didn't feel any different to the last time he punched me." Stiles said with a shrug.

"Last time?" Derek growled and walked out the door, shifting while Stiles called his name and running for Scott's house.

Stiles pulled out his phone to warn Scott but his friend didn't answer.

An hour later Derek came back with a dark look on his face and went straight upstairs to have a shower. Stiles finally got through to Scott.

"Hey." Stiles said.

"Derek saw your eye then." Scott said his voice sounded tight.

"Yeah, he wasn't impressed."

"No," Scott said. "I got a stern talking to about treating my pack mates with respect and protecting them, not hurting them."

"Stern talking to like when Jackson broke Lydia's arm in four places sending her to the hospital or stern talking to like when Danny almost yanked your arm from your body?"

"There was no head slapping involved so much more Danny than Jackson."

"Sorry, I tried to explain." Stiles said apologetically.

"He is right. I should have never let myself get into a fight with you."

"I punched you as well." Stiles defended.

"Yes, but I am a werewolf and had healed before your arm was back at your side."

"Just because you are a wolf does not mean I can't still get into a fight with you when you are being stupid." Stiles said with conviction. "I am fine. I will stab you with a wolfsbane knife if you don't act like you always have."

Scott laughed and Stiles knew they were okay again. He heard the shower above stop so he said his goodbyes to Scott and waited for Derek.

Derek came downstairs looking much calmer but he handed the keys to Stiles and asked him to drive for a while anyway. Stiles grinned, he loved driving the Camaro. They both went outside to drive back to school not discussing Scott, in fact not discussing much of anything for a while.

Eventually Stiles started talking about wood nymphs. He'd been learning about them in class for the last couple of weeks. He babbled for almost half an hour before Derek finally joined in and they started talking like normal again. Neither of them bought up Stiles' black eye, or Scott, again.

/\/\/\

It was Derek's birthday. Not that he expected to even hear a happy birthday; he had never told anyone when his birthday was and he liked it like that - no fuss and no expectations. Stiles kept bugging him, trying to get him to tell him the date but birthdays were not something he had celebrated since the fire. He made sure the rest of the pack had good birthdays; though if he was honest with himself mainly he just did what Stiles told him would be good for everyone's birthdays. His birthday however was just another day, nothing special.

Derek had gone to class after having breakfast with Stiles. Then off to the library to search out some books for his class that he couldn't substitute with online resources and his lecturers refused to put in the e-resources. But finally after a long day Derek was walking home knowing that Stiles would have made dinner because he only had one class today and he always cooked on Wednesdays and always something complicated and lovely just because he could.

Derek knew he was horridly spoiled but living with Stiles turned out to be the best and worst idea he had ever had. He got to spend a lot of time with the man he loved but he could never touch. Derek shook his head, it was best not to worry about something that he could never fix because as much as it was getting harder not to press Stiles into the fridge and fuck him against the cool metal he had to keep reminding himself that it was for Stiles' own good that he kept his distance, that and the protection of that shred of self-esteem that told him he could have what he wanted if he just said something.

Derek walked up to his door and something funny tickled his nose. The overwhelming stench of lemon coating the door – not fake lemon which made Derek's nose revolt – but real lemon juice. Derek frowned but slid his key into the lock anyway wondering what Stiles had done to the door.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled the moment he opened the door and Derek smiled at the actual surprise that flooded his system.

"Ha!" Stiles said coming forward. "I wasn't sure if it would work but it did. Happy birthday." Stiles smiled and threw his arms around Derek in a fast, hard hug that was over before Derek even had the chance to enjoy it. Lydia and Allison came forward together to wrap their arms around him sandwiching him between the sweet scent of flowers that wafted off both of them as a bright flash captured them forever on Danny's camera.

"Happy birthday," the two girls said in unison as they pulled away. Scott didn't move forward just said his birthday wishes from his spot leaning against the couch. Jackson echoing his words from his spot. Danny ignored them both and pulled Derek into a quick back-patting hug and a mumbled happy birthday before he pulled away.

Derek remembered Stiles' birthday when every single member of the pack but him wrapped Stiles into tight hugs and head rubbing with back slapping and cheek pinching and kisses. Derek was pleased he wasn't Stiles for a moment, being tactile was a part of being in a pack, but Derek had never been good at one on one hugging.

"How did you know?" Derek asked Stiles.

"I stole your wallet and looked it up on your driver's license." Stiles said with a grin.

Derek glared at Stiles. "Of course you did."

"You refused to tell me." Stiles shrugged. "And until we started living together you guarded your wallet much better."

"Come on." Lydia said grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the couch where he was pushed down between Jackson and Danny. Derek smiled at her as she handed him a bright pink plastic cup.

"Lydia was in charge of cups." Stiles shrugged.

"There are lots of colours." Lydia defended.

"Then why am I drinking from Barbie's?" Derek asked taking a sip of Danny's famous punch…no alcohol which was probably best but just for a moment Derek wished there was some in there.

"Here." Jackson said shoving a present at Derek.

"Thanks, you shouldn't have bothered."

Suddenly Stiles was standing in front of Derek his hands on his hips as he stared down at with a glare. "Every year you do something for each of our birthdays. We have driven to San Francisco so Allison could have her birthday on a trolley restaurant because she thought it was cool. We took Lydia to Death Valley because she always wanted to go camping in a desert. We all traipsed back to Beacon Hills for Scott because he wanted to celebrate where you could all wolf out and run and play silly werewolf games. We drove to Los Angeles and went to the Olive Garden so Danny could star spot. We all went and froze to death so Jackson could see David Beckham play soccer because there was a cold snap that year. And you organised a party for me at home because I miss dad. But we shouldn't have bothered? Don't be a twit!"

"I was talking about the present." Derek defended but that just made Stiles glare a little harder.

"Danny, what did you get for your birthday from Derek?"

"A new hard drive for my computer."

"Lydia?"

"Louboutin heels." Lydia said with a sigh. "Though that was from all of you."

"Scott?"

"Lemon and lime trees, and other gardening stuff," Scott said thinking of his garden at the house Derek had bought for him, Jackson, and Danny to stay in while they were at university. "Oh, also I have transferred into the horticulture course. It's all accepted starting next semester."

"Excellent." Stiles said smiling at Scott who was congratulated by the pack, he'd finally found something that he really enjoyed to focus on at university. "Allison?"

"Some perfume that doesn't irritate werewolves. Which I am wearing now."

"Smells great," Scott said kissing her while Danny pretended to shoot himself.

"Jackson?"

"A new set of speakers."

"Stiles has a point." Lydia said watching Derek. "But no presents until later." Lydia stole the present from Derek's hands and put it on the kitchen table with the other ones.

"Yes." Derek said looking at Stiles. "I appreciate it everyone."

"Oh, it's all Stiles. He found out the date and told us all to be here. Then told us what to do." Jackson said grabbing some punch for himself.

"Thank you, Stiles. I appreciate the effort you put in. I haven't really done birthdays since the fire; neither Laura or I saw much point."

Stiles smiled. "You're welcome," Stiles face slipped down into a closed expression as he asked. "This is okay, right?"

"It's great, thank you." Derek reassured him.

"Excellent." Stiles beamed. "Okay so we have some different options. We have games, we have movies, and we can go to the movies. Or, and this is what we thought you would probably pick. You were talking about the fact you used to play Donkey Kong with your sister. And Jackson bought his machine, so we can play that if you want."

"Donkey Kong?"

"Yeah."

Derek looked at Stiles for a moment; he'd found out his birthday and found Donkey Kong. Derek had loved the game when he was little. He'd always beaten Laura, though to start with he was fairly certain she let him win. He hadn't played since well before the fire. Laura had gone to university and he'd never really had many friends. Then Kate became the only thing he thought about. He wanted to play; he wanted to have fun with his pack and knew it wouldn't be the painful memory things normally were when they'd stopped because of the fire.

Derek smiled. "I am so going to kick all of your arses."

"Oh hell no!" Jackson said getting up to set the machine up.

"Oh it is on like Donkey Kong!" Lydia said with glee. "I have no idea what this is."

"But you know that saying?" Allison asked.

"I know everything!" Lydia said.

"Snacks?" Stiles asked.

"Do we have any of those cheese things you hide from me when you are studying?" Derek asked.

"Yeah." Stiles said grabbing a bowl and putting it on the table before squashing himself between Allison and Danny.

"Okay, so you are looking for bananas and throwing barrels?" Lydia said trying to work out what the buttons did as Jackson cackled from the other end of the couch.

"Yeah, no, the other button. Again. Quickly." Danny said just barely holding himself back from reaching over Derek and grabbing the console out of her hands.

"Oh this is silly…YAY! Oh did you see that, I clobbered that one with a barrel."

"Diddy Kong is on your side." Allison said.

"So? I hit something with a damnable barrel." Lydia said with glee throwing another one and hitting the right thing this time.

When Lydia died for the last time and handed the controller over to Scott she moved away from Derek to squeeze into a spot next to Stiles basically sitting on his lap.

Scott did marginally better at the game than Lydia had.

"So that was fun," Lydia said. "What else are we doing?"

"That is up to Derek," Stiles said resting his chin on Lydia's shoulder to watch Scott jump over Diddy to collect more bananas.

"Chinese," Derek said stealing the controller from Scott when he died and watching the TV seriously.

"Oh so that's how it works," Lydia said after they'd watched Derek play the game for a while.

Stiles smiled into her back. "He used to play with his sister so he should be good."

"Manual dexterity," Lydia said with a smirk and a gentle elbow into his ribs.

"What?" Stiles asked laughing at the look of surprise on Jackson's face.

Lydia shook her head. "Never mind."

/ / /

Later after Derek spectacularly beat Jackson (and everyone else) Stiles ordered enough food for an army. Stiles came back in from the kitchen to find Derek holding something behind his back and glaring at Jackson.

"Stiles," Jackson whined. "Derek won't tell us what he has behind his back."

"Okay," Stiles said with a shrug. "Who wants a drink?"

"Stiles," Jackson growled. "Make him tell us what he is going to subject us to."

"I'll have water," Lydia said shaking her head, Stiles knew if she was in a comic book there would be a thought bubble above her head question why she let him take her virginity.

"Orange juice?" Allison asked.

"I'll help," Scott said sliding out from under Allison.

"Coke," Jackson mumbled with a pout.

Danny rolled his eyes and held up his fingers in a signal for two.

"Me too," Derek said with a grin. "I told you to guess, Jackson."

"I did," Jackson said.

Derek grinned at him. "Yes, and your guess of Man vs. Wild was both stupid and incorrect."

"I like Man vs. Wild," Jackson said. "He built a raft and almost got eaten by tiger sharks."

Lydia slapped herself in the forehead.

"What?" Jackson asked turning to her.

"I cannot believe I ever let you touch my breasts."

Stiles laughed as he dropped the drinks on the table before sliding into the chair next to Lydia who simply climbed into his lap instead.

"You have to guess," Derek said again with an evil grin.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's?" Lydia said.

"Look Who's Talking?" Danny suggested.

"Lord of the Rings?" Allison asked.

"Avengers – Earth's Mightiest Heroes?" Scott questioned.

Jackson pouted and glared at Derek. "Pride and Prejudice?"

"Stop pouting, Man vs. Wild isn't that bad. You don't need to sulk," Stiles said.

"What?" Jackson said hulking down further. "I like the BBC version, Lydia made me watch it until I could quote it."

"It is very good," Stiles said biting his lip and turning back to Derek. "Does it have a flux capacitor?"

Derek beamed at him. "It really does."

Stiles laughed.

"Why do you always get this shit right?" Jackson asked.

"Because," Stiles stood up and threw himself down on Jackson. "I live with him and he had a weird love of all things Michael J. Fox and really, really loves these movies." Stiles started nosing at Jackson's neck. "I have seen them heaps of times. It's his feeling stressed, sick, etc. movie."

"Stiles stop," Jackson laughed pushing him away. "I'm annoyed at you and you aren't allowed to nuzzle your way out of it."

"But I'm such a good nuzzle," Stiles said nosing at his shoulder.

"Fine," Jackson said pushing Stiles off him so he landed with an oomph on the floor. "I won't be annoyed anymore."

"See," Stiles said grabbing the DVD out of Derek's hand. "You might be the shit at Donkey Kong but I can nuzzle the bad mood right out of Jackson. Sit down, birthday boy, and prepare to travel through time."

"Are you high?" Allison asked trying to get a look at Stiles' pupils.

Stiles grinned at her and put the DVD in.

"No," Lydia said. "But he's been devouring the sour gummi worms."

"Oh crap," Scott said pulling the bowl away from where Stiles was sitting next to Lydia. "No more for you!"

/ / /

George had just knocked Biff to the ground when the doorbell rang and Danny stood to get the food.

"Did you order enough food?" Derek asked watching the food being unpacked on the table in front of them while Scott and Allison collected plates and cutlery.

"I don't think he did," Jackson said grabbing a spring roll.

"Don't eat it yet," Stiles said stealing the roll and shoving it into his mouth. "It's not polite."

Jackson laughed at him as he started opening containers.

They passed around the food while they watched Marty McFly create rock music and make his way back to the 1980s. After dinner, when the movie was over Stiles jumped from the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"Jackson, turn off the lights," Stiles yelled from the kitchen.

Jackson jumped up and followed his order before Stiles came back into the room holding a cake that looked to be completely alight.

"Holy crap, Stiles," Danny said. "Should I get the fire extinguisher?"

"He's a werewolf, that's seven birthdays for every one human birthday," Stiles said with a grin.

Derek growled at him as he set the cake down on the table in front of him.

"Stiles," Lydia said pulling him down for a quick kiss between his eyebrows. "Sometimes you are my hero."

"He's always my hero," Scott said with a smile.

Derek groaned. "Why is my birthday code for be mean to your alpha night?"

"Put the glow-y eyes away Derek and get ready to blow out your candles."

Derek waited patiently with a smile as they sung him happy birthday getting very loud on the hoorays before Derek attempted to blow out the candles, all the candles. It took him three breaths which just made Stiles beam at him. Derek ignored the look that Lydia was giving him as he smiled at Stiles who was handing him a singing knife.

"You are so stupid about birthdays," Derek said as the cake knife sung him happy birthday.

"Who in their right mind has a singing cake slice?" Danny asked.

Stiles frowned at him. "You complain now but later when you think back and you remember that the big bad wolf," he turned and grinned at Derek who was still cutting his cake. "Was cutting his cake with it you'll feel better while he is yelling at you over doing something stupid."

Danny nodded and pulled out his camera taking another photo or possibly a video. "You're right."

"I have no respect," Derek said with a sigh handing out some cake. "Hey, this is chocolate mousse cake."

"Of course it is," Stiles said taking the piece and handing it down the line. "That's your favourite."

Derek smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Time for presents," Stiles said when everyone had cake. "Then we can watch the other two movies."

"Damn right!"

"If they got back to the 1980s why on earth do they need to keep time travelling?" Jackson asked.

"You've seriously never seen these movies?" Derek asked.

"I'm not as old as you. After all I saw the candles on that cake."

Derek's groan was drowned out by the laughter from the rest of the pack.

When Scott had wolfed down his cake, and Danny almost choked laughing at that joke, he went and collected the presents sitting on the table. Dumping them on the table in front of Derek. "Allison and I cheated; we got your present together. Here."

Derek pulled the box close to him and started undoing the paper.

"Of course he's a careful unwrapper," Lydia said with a smile.

"Being cautious, careful, and controlled are not things to scoff at," Derek said. "After all you have all tested those things out on more than one occasion. Just look at my cake."

"It's your favourite type of cake," Stiles reminded.

"Yes with more candles than Methuselah," Derek said pointed at the mound of them next to his half-eaten cake.

"Dude, dog years!"

Derek sighed and went back to his present. When he'd unwrapped the bright green paper he found a blue box. "Allison wrapped this didn't you?"

"I really did," Allison said with a beaming grin.

"How many layers?"

"Three."

Derek opened the box and pulled out a circular object covered in paper with three bows covering it. "There is something wrong with you."

"I love wrapping presents," Allison said with a shrug knowing that even though Derek was mocking her the group around her didn't judge her for her love of wrapping paper and ribbons.

Derek peeled the ribbons off the present and frowned at the strange orange ball in his hand.

"What?"

"Open it," Scott said.

Derek opened the container and out came a CD, and two tickets.

"It's Donkey Kong for your computer and tickets to see Metallica next month."

Derek smiled at them. "That's brilliant, thank you."

"You're welcome," Scott said leaning forward. "I hope you like them."

"It's great, I really appreciate it."

Allison smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I'm really glad you liked them."

Derek hugged her back. "Excellent wrapping too."

"I know, right."

Danny reached under the couch and pulled a long and wide flat box out from under there. "Here."

"Wow, enthusiastic," Jackson said nudging Danny with his shoulder. "It's a great present."

Derek smiled at them both before finding the sticky tape and pulling at it unwrapping the present slowly. Inside was a frame with its back facing towards Derek.

"What is it?" Stiles asked balanced precariously behind him so he could peer over the older man's shoulder.

"A frame."

Stiles dropped his head down onto Derek's shoulder shaking his head. "Sarcasm thy torch is passed."

Derek ignored him to pull the frame out and turn it over. On the other side was a large photo of the lake on Derek's land. The landscape was bathed in moonlight and hidden in the shadows Derek could just make out the darker shapes of some of his pack. He knew that unless someone knew they were there, knew what they were, people would never find them lost in the rest of the picture.

"You took this," Derek said smiling at Danny. On their last full moon, the only one they had been able to get together for since Jasmine and everything that happened, Danny had pulled his camera out when they'd been down at the lake. Their full moon was more playful and relaxed than they had had in a long time. Allison and Stiles had been with them - their whole pack together. Under the bright light of the moon they'd played and run and frolicked. Danny had taken a number of photos that night but Derek hadn't seen this one before.

"I did," Danny said. "It was the best one of the whole night and I thought it would look good in your lounge room."

"It's great," Stiles said leaning out and over Derek. "I see Derek and I see Lydia but where the heck am I?"

Lydia laughed. "Why would you want a picture of you when you could have a picture of me, have you seen how hot I am?"

Stiles pulled back from Derek and threw himself at Lydia. "Sure you're hot enough to sizzle but I was informed by a very reliable source at the last party I was at that I'm very cute and that if I wanted to I could join in the threesome happening upstairs and...fine, the guy was beyond toasted but I'll take it."

"What party was this?" Derek asked turning to him.

"That floor party I went to with MJ the other week. You remember you growled that I still smelled of pot the next day when you got home from Beacon Hills. I think I got a contact high from one girl who decided I was a perfect chair."

"You called me from that party," Lydia said. "Nerds don't have parties as good as that; I'm coming to the next one."

"There is a fancy dress frat party next month I've been invited to come for that."

"Deal."

"Jackson," Stiles said turning to him. "Your turn."

Jackson smiled and grabbed his present handing it back to Derek.

Derek started unwrapping the gift frowning down at the box. He opened it and found a card inside. He frowned at Jackson who nodded at him to look. Derek pulled the card out and looked inside. He looked up at Jackson and beamed at him.

"Really?"

"I remember you saying you wanted to so," Jackson said.

"This is brilliant, are you going to come with me?"

Jackson nodded. "I'd like to."

"Good," Derek smiled at the rest of the pack who was watching him confused.

"As happy as we are that you are excited about this gift," Lydia said nudging Derek's elbow. "We'd all be much more excited with you if you told us what it is."

"Sorry," Derek pulled the gift certificate out so that they could all see it. "We're going sky diving."

"Sky diving?" Scott asked. "That's awesome."

"Derek mentioned that he wanted to go ages ago and I thought it was something fun to do for his birthday though now I have to work out what to do for Christmas."

"It's great, thanks, Jackson."

"You're welcome."

Lydia stood up and disappeared into Stiles' room.

"What are you doing in my room?"

"Right," Lydia called through the walls. "One of the professors at my university is nutso but he is also freaking awesome. I had no idea what to get you, Derek, but then I found out that he…" Lydia came out something hiding behind her back. "…created luminous goldfish. How awesome is that?" she pulled the little fish tank out from behind her back inside three little goldfish were swimming around. "Okay someone turn off the goddamn lights so my present looks less crappy."

Stiles stood up and started turning off the lights around the apartment until they were plunged into darkness and the swimming fish started to glow. "That is super cool."

"Wow, Lydia," Derek said coming over and taking the fish tank away from her. "I have never had fish that glow before."

"Well, only super weird scientists would create them so it's a good thing you have an in with one."

"How'd you get it?" Stiles asked turning the lights back on.

"He was giving a lecture and I corrected his maths, he pouted and then I got dragged into his office. There was the fish. I'm not sure how it happened but I got the fish when a short guy with really tight pants tried to hit on me and I slapped him down harder than I have ever slapped anyone."

"Thank you, Lydia," Derek said, smiling at her.

"You are very hard to buy for," Lydia said. "Next year I want a list."

"Okay," Stiles said standing up and grabbing his present and handing it to Derek. "Mine now, lucky last."

Derek took the gift and started opening it.

"It's a photo," Derek said confused holding it up. "Of my house."

Stiles grinned at him. "There are more in there."

Derek dug back into the bag and pulled out a slip of white paper and another couple of photos. "Presents aren't supposed to be this hard to work out."

"You are such a whiny arse," Stiles said. "Hurry up and look."

"A receipt," Derek said. "For a raised garden bed?"

Stiles nodded and pointed at the photos. Derek frowned and continued flicking.

"This is my backyard, and your dad and Scott, and a raised garden bed. What did you do?"

"I went to your backyard and I put a raised garden bed there," Stiles said.

"Smart arse."

Stiles turned to look at his backside. "I know, right?"

"Stiles," Derek growled lightly.

"Fine, you are so boring. The other week when I went home to hang out with Dad I got him and Scott to help me set up the garden bed at your place. The next picture is of the lemon tree we planted," Stiles waited until Derek found the picture. "For future needs since lemons are weirdly expensive and you never know when I'm going to need them. I was talking to Dr Deaton and between him and the books I've been reading of yours I've been putting together a list of medicinal plants specifically for werewolves. Some were easy to find and we planted them but the rest are going to be harder to get to. Basically it's a little garden where we can grow things to help the werewolves. That and I got you a light sabre that glows and makes noise. It's mounted above your bed."

Derek laughed and left the room. "It's actually mounted it above my bed, but that makes it harder to play with."

"No, it's not bolted or anything just sitting on the hooky things."

"Thank you. You're really making me a garden of werewolf medicinal herbs?"

"We might need them for the future."

"We probably will too," Derek nodded. "They are awfully accident prone. Are you growing wolfsbane?"

"No," Stiles said. "But dad agreed to let me plant it in his backyard. So they aren't there to be used against you but the plants will still be close by so that we can get to it if we need to and Dad has some if there are any wolf-y problems in town when we're not there."

Derek grinned at Stiles; he'd got him a gift that was for his whole pack. And a light sabre, Derek loved the presents, all of them. "Let me know what plants you're looking for and I'll see if I can get them from the other packs I know."

"Thanks."

"This is a great birthday."

Derek pushed the wrapping paper onto the floor so he could line his presents up in front of him. "I have an awesome pack." Not one of his pack disagreed with him and if they preened a little with pride no one said anything.

With the wrapping paper surrounding them and all of Derek's presents on the table Stiles slid the next DVD into the machine and they settled down to watch the movie.

/ / /

"Derek?" Stiles asked pushing the door open.

"Yes, Stiles?" Derek turned around and dropped his jumper over the chair.

"Scott and Allison stole my bed. Lydia has camped out on the couch and Danny and Jackson are stretched out on all the remaining comfortable surfaces. I have nowhere to sleep." Stiles looked at Derek as pathetically as he could manage which made Derek want to laugh.

"So…" Derek said pushing for more time so he could work out if letting Stiles have the other side of his bed was a good idea or asking for trouble and if he would be able to stop himself from pressing the younger man into his mattress licking him from his toes to the spot behind his ears before wrapping himself in the other man's body and begging to be devoured. Probably best not to offer him the other half of the mattress.

Stiles blushed. "I was wondering if I could steal a pillow. I don't mind sleeping on the floor but Lydia growled at me when I tried to grab a cushion from the couch and I only have the two pillows on my bed and there are two people in there and…can I borrow a pillow?"

Derek stared at Stiles for a moment. "You can sleep here if you want." Derek contemplated throwing himself out the window because that was not what he wanted to say.

"No, no, that's alright. I'll just make a bed out of blankets and I'll be fine."

"That doesn't seem right." Derek wondered if it is possible for your brain to be completely removed from your mouth. "Stay here. It's a big bed and it wouldn't be the first time you'd shared a bed with the pack."

Derek thought of the times Stiles had ended up buried beneath Jackson when the boy had come to stay and decided the couch wasn't for him but that Derek would impale him if he tried to steal half his bed. He thought of Lydia curling up with Stiles to chat all night when she came to visit or Stiles curling around her when she came seeking comfort from the only person she seemed willing to let herself be vulnerable around. He thought of the easy way Scott and Stiles would fall asleep next to each other on any surface, the couch, Stiles' bed and once the floor behind the couch where they had been shooting nerf pellets at the roof. He thought about the tentative way Danny had slept next to him after he'd been bitten and the carefree way the two of them threw themselves onto surfaces and pressed close now. He couldn't think of a single occasion when he had fallen asleep next to Stiles. He had never let himself get that close but he could not allow Stiles to sleep on the floor if he had a perfectly good and half empty mattress.

"Yeah, course. Okay. I'm just going to go and brush my teeth." Stiles ducked from the room quickly and closed himself in the bathroom.

Derek was staring at his bed when he heard someone at the door; he turned his head and looked at Lydia who threw him a large grin and a wink before sauntering back to the couch. Moments later Stiles appeared at his door wearing his pyjamas pants and a top. Derek knew Stiles didn't normally wear a top to bed but he was incredible pleased for the material tonight.

"Just give me a second." Derek said grabbing his own sleeping pants and an old shirt before ducking into the bathroom himself. He was halfway through brushing his teeth before he thumped his head against the wall next to the mirror and cursed himself for being an idiot. Being in a bed with Stiles was possibly the worst decision he had made since he'd gotten drunk with Jasmine and said yes to her advances that one stupid night. He knew he would regret this not because he had once again slept with someone who he didn't like but because he knew if he ever let himself go and tasted Stiles he'd be ruined and he'd never let the man go. Stiles deserved someone much better than Derek. Stiles deserved someone who wouldn't end up getting him hurt and Derek had learned the hard way that love just lead to getting hurt and Derek wasn't sure if he would survive Stiles dying. He shook his head, he was being stupid. It was one night sleeping next to Stiles, it was nothing. They would keep their distance and it would all be fine and Derek could go back to just keeping a very deliberate distance from Stiles whenever he could.

This was nothing; Derek knew he'd be fine. He left the bathroom and went back to his room finding Stiles staring at his bed like it was going to bite him.

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor." Stiles said when Derek came in.

"Don't be silly." Derek said not sure who was in control of his mouth it didn't seem to be him. "Big bed. Just jump in and go to sleep."

Derek tried to set an example by moving over and getting in to bed, he tripped on the mat just before he got there and ended up stumbling onto the bed. Stiles laughed at him and Derek felt all the tension leave his body as he grinned at Stiles.

"Who is the alpha werewolf again?" Stiles asked as he crawled into Derek's bed.

"Shut up, Stiles." Derek glared, getting into bed too before reaching up to turn off the lamp.

Derek could feel Stiles, the heat radiating off his body and through the space between them to warm Derek's side. He could hear his heartbeat just a little faster than normal. He could smell him, and if he reached out a hand he'd be able to touch him. He wanted to, desperately, and this was the real reason that this was a bad idea. He wanted to reach out and touch Stiles and he was so close, he could pretend to be asleep and roll over and press himself all along Stiles' side. The temptation burned in his hands and arms and legs making him feel like he was going to explode at any moment.

Derek couldn't relax; he was terrified that he'd do something that would show Stiles how he felt. It felt like he'd been lying in his bed not moving, holding his breath and ordering himself not to reach out for hours when he made a decision. With a gentle mutter he rolled to the side and off the bed, he made sure to catch himself before settling on the floor next to his bed and held his breath hoping Stiles was asleep enough not to have noticed what he'd done.

No such luck. Moments later Stiles' head appeared over the side of the bed and looked down at him. "Derek, what are you doing?"

"I lost something under the bed." Derek said turning his head to look under the bed.

"Your porn collection?"

Derek laughed and stood up moving back into the bed. "I don't need to hide my porn under my bed. I'm not fourteen anymore."

"Where do you hide it then?"

Derek isn't sure how they got here, he is never sure how they get anywhere in these conversations – porn is probably not a good topic of conversation. "Stiles, I think maybe this is a conversation we shouldn't be having."

"I hide mine under my socks." Stiles said then hit himself on his head.

"Top of my closet."

"How did we start talking about this?"

"I never know how we start talking about anything, Stiles. Shut up and go to sleep."

"Night, Derek."

"Goodnight, Stiles."

This time Derek found it easier to go to sleep, letting his breathing match Stiles' and pulling the smell of the younger man into his body until the world floated away and he went to sleep.

When Derek woke up there were too many arms and legs in the bed and he had no idea where Stiles had grown them but it felt as though the younger man has at least six of each. He wasn't even awake long enough to think about moving away; pulled back down by warmth, comfort and finally getting exactly what he wanted.

The next time Derek woke up there was a bright flash, a giggle, and then his bedroom door closed with a definite click. He pulled himself from Stiles slowly trying not to wake the other man up but just as he was pulling his left foot from between Stiles' ankles he lost his fight for balance and once again ended up on his arse on the floor. He lifted his head above the mattress but Stiles had starfished out the second Derek's body was gone and was snoring very quietly.

Derek stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked into the lounge room and found his entire pack on the couch looking at Lydia's camera. She turned when she heard him and shoved the device down her top and tried to look innocent.

"You keep your porn in your cupboard?" Lydia said with a sly grin.

Derek growled at her and stalked into the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee. Twenty minutes later Stiles joined him in the kitchen asking why everyone looked so downright gleeful it was scary.

Derek growled again and handed Stiles a mug of coffee.

/\/\/\

Stiles sat in a café across from MJ smiling at her story when he saw him, Joshua, staring at him from a table against the opposite wall.

"Stiles? What's wrong?" MJ asked turning around to look behind her, spotting the man who was staring at Stiles. "Who is he?"

"We need to leave." Stiles said standing up. "No, I need to leave. You can stay; it's better if you do. I'll call you later tonight." Stiles leaned over and kissed MJ on the cheek before grabbing his bag and leaving quickly.

MJ turned around again and looked at the man who had spooked Stiles to found that he was standing now as well, walking across the room to follow Stiles. She waited until the man passed her and then stood to follow. She didn't know what had Stiles spooked enough to tell her to stay in a crowded place but she wasn't leaving him alone to it.

MJ kept her distance but watched as Stiles walked quickly through the campus with the strange man following him. Stiles diverted through a part of the university under construction slowing down and allowing the man to catch up to him. They exchanged word and MJ moved closer to try and hear what was being said. Stiles gestured at the man sweeping across his face and chest. The other man reached out blindingly fast and grabbed onto Stiles' arm. MJ started walking faster no longer worried about being spotted as the man turned Stiles' wrist over, said something, and fled.

MJ made it over just as Stiles looked down at his own wrist and swore.

"Who was that guy?" MJ asked as she came over to him.

"You shouldn't have followed me." Stiles said shoving his hand into his pocket and sliding his other through her elbow so he could turn her and they could start to walk back to her dorm.

"What are you involved in, Stiles?"

"He has been following Derek and me. We don't know why. I just didn't want you to get involved in case he turns weird."

"Weirder than stalking you?"

"Not stalking, I have only seen him a few times. He just doesn't seem to like Derek and, by extension, me." Stiles said refusing to turn and see if he was being followed again.

"Maybe he's one of those bigots who doesn't like the man-love." MJ said trying desperately for a jovial tone even though she was worried about Stiles.

"There is no man-love occurring."

"You are living together."

"In separate bedrooms where we sleep by ourselves every night." Stiles said flushing.

"But what happens before the going to sleep?" MJ teased.

"We watch television or study and we have dinner together and I think about him in ways that are completely inappropriate." Stiles said then slapped himself on the forehead.

"Just for me would you crawl into bed with him and blow him; see what happens?" MJ asked as they stopped at her dorm entrance.

"If I was going to humiliate myself for anyone it would be you but no I am definitely not going to be doing that."

MJ reached her hand up and curled it around Stiles' cheek. "Idiot."

"Thanks, go inside. I'll see you Friday."

MJ's smile fell off her face. "I'm worried about you, Stiles."

Stiles smiled at her. "I promise you things are fine, honestly he dislikes Derek for something, just walk the other way if you see him. I am positive he's harmless but just in case, yeah?"

"He was watching you."

"He was in the café we were in," Stiles said. "I dragged him out so I could talk to him."

"He followed you out because you were spooked."

"MJ, I promise you everything is okay," Stiles grinned at her. "Look at me, I'm not worried. Besides worst comes to worst I'll get my dad to look into him."

MJ frowned at him for a long time before she finally nodded. "If you need anything you can come to me, okay?"

Stiles pulled her close and tight into a hug. "I promise."

"Okay, bye. Stiles, be careful." MJ said when Stiles had pulled away a small wrinkle still between her eyebrows.

"I will, don't worry about me."

"All right, bye." MJ bounced up and kissed Stiles on the cheek before turning and going inside. She turned back and waved after she'd opened the security door knowing he was watching her go inside.

Stiles turned when the door closed behind her and walked back to the apartment quickly so he could tell Derek about what had happened.

/\/\/\

"Derek, what are you doing Thursday night?" Stiles called out from the kitchen.

"Not much. I am going to the library after class but nothing after. Why?" Derek called back from the bathroom.

"My study group, not the one from journalism, another one needs a place to study. We were going to use the rooms in the library but they are all booked. You mind if we do it here?" Stiles said as he walked towards the bathroom and finished the question from the doorway.

"All good, I can stay at the library if you like." Derek said watching Stiles in the mirror.

"No, we should be finished by the time you are done in the library; I have an early class that day."

Derek smiled at Stiles and shoved his toothbrush into his mouth grinning around the foaming toothpaste.

When Derek came home from the library on Thursday there were six people in his living room having a loud argument about ethics in journalism and what the government should and should not be allowed to demand from a reporter about sources. The voices stopped immediately when Derek walked into the room.

"Sorry." Derek said with a smile. "Don't let me interrupt." Derek walked through the kitchen to grab some water and then straight through to his bedroom.

"Who is that?" One of the women in the lounge room asked.

"My roommate Derek."

"Straight, gay, single, relationship. Enquiring minds want to know." The voice said again.

"Sam, don't be so…" A male voice started.

"Much like a slut?" Another female voice supplied before the first girl laughed.

"I am a university student. If I am not having heaps of sex now how on Earth am I going to know what I will be missing when I am old and married?"

"Straight and single." Stiles supplied. "And completely off limits to you."

"Why?" The woman identified as Sam said.

"Because he's my friend and I would appreciate you not using him to gain powers as the succubus you are."

"Oh." A new voice said. "Sam, let it go."

"Why?" Sam asked.

There was some whispering so quiet even Derek couldn't hear.

"Okay," Sam said finally. "I won't go near him. Please tell me he's evil or stupid."

"He's a good person and studying to be an accountant." Stiles said. "What did you say to her, Clark?"

"Nothing." Clark said.

"Where did you meet him, Stiles?"

"Back home. We came to Berkeley together."

"He's older, isn't he?" asked another new voice.

Derek wished he'd actually stopped to be introduced so he could put more than two names to the voices.

"Yeah, couple of years. He took some time off. We were studying, right?" Stiles said trying to get the group back on topic.

"We were until the hottest man I have ever seen walked in and I went into heat." Sam said laughing. "Now we aren't doing much."

"Do you have any shame?" The other woman asked.

"Nope." Sam said. "I know what I want out of my university experience, think of it as hot guy bingo."

"So, we are going to a write a report on the different ways that the government can entice a reporter to reveal their sources as well as examples of instances when they worked. We need to comment on the effectiveness of that type of encouragement. We have found the examples we want to write about how are we going to divvy up the workload?" Stiles said using his firmest voice.

"I think if we all start with a single section and then get together to edit to give it a cohesive feel." The other woman said.

"You guys are no fun. Fine, we will need a deadline for the first round of writing." Sam said obviously pouting.

Derek smiled at himself as he threw himself back onto his bed and put his headphones on to listen to music instead of doing the mountain of reading he had.

/\/\/\

Derek heard the key in the lock and turned to the door. He wasn't waiting up for Stiles; he didn't need to wait for him. He was just still awake.

"Hey, this is my place," Stiles' voice carried through the door so Derek got up and opened it surprising MJ who was supporting Stiles and trying to get the door open.

"MJ?" Derek said his eyes on Stiles who was grinning at him stupidly.

"Hey, Derek," MJ said shifting her hold on Stiles who pulled away, stumbled forward and face planted into Derek's chest. Derek absorbed the impact and wrapped his arms around Stiles to keep him from falling further.

"We were celebrating," MJ said stepping into the apartment.

"So Stiles said when he called," Derek said supporting Stiles and moving him onto the couch.

"We celebrated quite hard," MJ giggled flopping down next to Stiles. "Sorry," she said shuffling a little further away from Stiles.

"Don't apologise. He's the one who's going to have a hangover in the morning."

MJ frowned at him. "My God you are both so fucking stupid."

Derek took a step back. "Excuse me?"

"You look at him like he is the centre of your fucking universe and yet you don't **do** anything."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Derek said stepping away and into the kitchen coming back with two large glasses of water. Derek didn't particularly like MJ but Stiles would be disappointed if he wasn't nice to her.

"Thank you," MJ said. "Forget what I said earlier, not important."

Derek nodded. "Do you want to stay here tonight?"

"Oh please," MJ said turning and curling up on couch tucking her feet up under Stiles' legs.

Derek leaned forward and shook Stiles' shoulder.

"What?" Stiles mumbled.

"Come to bed," Derek said gripping his shoulders and helping him stand.

"'Kay," Stiles said wrapping himself around Derek hugging him tight.

"It's going to be hard to walk like this," Derek said grabbing the other glass of water and slowly moving them towards his room.

Derek half tugged and half carried Stiles into his room. He put the glass of water down and tried to push Stiles into bed but the younger man held tight and dove onto the bed dragging Derek down with him. Derek tried to pull away but Stiles' arms were locked around him.

"We did real good on the oral," Stiles mumbled into his neck - his breath hot and damp.

Derek couldn't get past the overwhelming smell of Stiles surrounding him. It was embedded in the sheets and pouring off of Stiles who was plastered to his front, one of his legs thrown up and over to curl around his thigh. Derek needed to get away desperately. He needed to not be here with Stiles because nothing was hiding his reaction and eventually Stiles' addled brain would register that thing poking into his hip was not anything innocent but proof that Derek was hornier than…well, than he had ever been as a teenager.

"Stiles," Derek said.

Stiles mumbled something and stared nuzzling Derek's neck.

"Goddamn it, Stiles," Derek allowed himself to wolf out and start pulling away from Stiles who grumbled and wrapped around him like an octopus. He locked his legs at the ankles and his hands behind Derek's neck and held on tight.

"Stiles!" Derek growled allowing the wolf out enough to make his voice deep and terrifying. Moments later he heard feet padding down the hallway quickly but Stiles just threaded a hand into his hair and breathed deeply against his neck.

MJ stopped at the door and started laughing, loudly, as Derek tried to get away.

"The least you could do is try and help me get away," Derek ground out pushing at Stiles.

"Nah," MJ said walking away. "I don't think you really want to."

Derek swore viciously and slumped down trying to work out how to get out of this situation. He swore at MJ for being right and he swore at Stiles who was still clinging to him but had started snoring very quietly in his ear.

Derek rolled which at least took his heavier bulk off Stiles but the younger man still didn't let go. Derek took a deep breath and silently apologised to Stiles before reaching down to the soft flesh at his waist and pinching him.

"Ow," Stiles said, slapping Derek before loosening his arms. "Not nice, Mr Sourwolf."

Derek wasn't sure if he had heard the muttered words correctly but at least now he could get some leverage to pull out of Stiles' arms. Stiles groaned, muttered something and then sprang out over the entire bed like a starfish. Derek rolled his eyes and grabbed a blanket throwing it over Stiles before putting a couple of tablets next to the large glass of water on the bookcase next to Stiles' bed. Derek checked the front door was locked, noticed that MJ was spread out on his couch asleep and snoring quietly. Probably best to mention that to Stiles in the morning. Derek turned all but the over stove light off and took his own glass into his room. He changed into pyjama pants and crawled into bed.

Derek groaned and turned his bedside light on. He still couldn't sleep and the clock on the wall told him he'd been lying in bed for over an hour trying. The fact he couldn't sleep wasn't a surprise he felt like he could still feel Stiles wrapped around him. Derek flipped over again and screamed into his pillow as quietly as he could. He stared up at the ceiling for a while telling his body that it was fine and it could just go to sleep. He counted imaginary sheep jumping over an imaginary fence but that didn't help at all. He focussed on his breathing but realised after a while that he'd let his hearing reach out through the apartment and he was actually focussing on Stiles' breathing not his own.

Derek swore vigorously and silently as he got out of bed and went to his cupboard. Under the boxes of material from previous units was a single magazine. Bought not long after Stiles moved in for the express purpose of giving Derek something else to think about when he couldn't help himself and just had to get off. The magazine, and Derek could still feel the rush of awkwardness and embarrassment he'd felt buying it, was apparently a bisexual publication. Derek had picked it because if he was going to try and convince his body to want someone other than Stiles he wanted options.

Derek took it back over with him to his bed and spared only a moment's thought for the other people here, he didn't worry about them, both human, both drunk, and in the months since Stiles had moved in Derek had become very good at being very quiet while he did this. Derek opened the magazine deliberately focussing on it and not on Stiles…Stiles' dextrous fingers, or the long line of his back when he was wearing a tight shirt and bent over and…Derek shook himself and focussed on the picture in front of him. Her flicked to a random page and swore. He flicked to another but that page held the same problem as the last. He flicked through the whole magazine but they were everywhere.

Every man in the magazine had a new head. The women had been left alone though he caught the occasional handwritten note next to them 'you don't want me'. Derek threw the magazine down onto his bed. "Bloody Lydia, only she would fucking well do this to me," Derek whispered into the air as his eye caught on one of the pictures again. The man was big, bigger than Derek, but where his head used to be was a cut out image of Stiles, laughing at something. All the photos of Stiles were different and Derek couldn't help thinking this must have taken Lydia a long time. It only hit Derek then, if Lydia had done this and no one else in his pack was quite as…devious as she was that meant that she knew. Lydia knew about his feelings for Stiles and if Lydia knew then his whole pack would know and if the pack knew Stiles would know because Stiles knew everything there was to know about the pack. Stiles' knowledge of every part of the pack was only a little disturbing for Derek who knew what role the other man would have in a traditional pack. The fact that Jackson was so close with his mocking and Stiles' reaction only reinforced the fact that Stiles wasn't interested in Derek like that. Not that Stiles should be with him anyway even if he could get past the fact that Derek was a man. MJ and Lydia were both decidedly feminine and Derek remembered the crushes Stiles had had on both. It was hard to forget when he still flirted with them both. That was better; he'd have to have a word with his pack about encouraging Stiles to date. Derek knew himself well enough to know he would never be able to suggest it himself.

Derek threw the magazine into the bin next to his bed. He'd have to do something more with it in the morning. He didn't want Stiles to see it.

Ten minutes later Derek was no better off, Lydia's joke had robbed him of his erection but lying in the dark her prank had the unfortunate side effect of giving his brain more fodder for his mental images of Stiles. More poses, more positions, more flexibility. Derek shook his head as though he could forcibly get the images out but he knew it was pointless. When his hand slipped beneath his waistband and Stiles flashed into his mind Derek sighed and gave up. He remembered the press of him from earlier and unbidden all the things he loved about Stiles, all the places he wanted to touch and taste slammed into his mind. It didn't take him long to come. Derek laid there for a few minutes breathing deeply before he cleaned himself up and stretched out on his bed staring up at the ceiling.

He had been trying so hard to stop thinking about Stiles. Stiles shouldn't want him, didn't want him. Derek knew he needed to just snap himself out of it. Push thoughts of Stiles aside and go back to how he'd decided to live after Kate. He was going to be alone forever and when he was old he would welcome the killing bite from one of his pack. If he was lucky and there was somewhere beyond he might be able to apologise to his family properly. It was a solidary life, it might even end up being a boring life but he had put an end to the people who had been instrumental in killing his family so he could spend the rest of his life making his pack strong and happy.

Now he needed to amend it. He needed to accept that he might not get over Stiles in the foreseeable future but people had had to deal with worse. So he needed to find a way to make Stiles even less available than he already was. Derek remembered for a moment the bright, overwhelming pain of Stiles dating MJ. Maybe she'd still be interested in Stiles, Derek remembered the vague comment about her having a boyfriend but he couldn't be sure and if she liked Stiles he doubted she'd be able to resist him. If not he'd talk to Lydia about setting him up. His pack would want Stiles to be happy. They'd do something to make it happen and all Derek would need to do was sit back and not drink himself to death. When Stiles was taken and Derek had no little bubble of a dream to hide in then he would stop and if he didn't that would be fine because Derek knew how to live through pain. He could do it again.

With a plan in mind Derek closed his eyes and told himself to go to sleep.

Derek fell asleep with his problems in his ear, against his will, without realising he'd allowed his hearing to deepen in the dark to be able to hear the soft snores from Stiles. He didn't normally snore so it must be the alcohol. When Derek realised what he was listening to he couldn't bring himself to stop and just listened until the world disappeared.

Derek didn't remember anything else until the painted groans coming from Stiles' room the next day.

/\/\/\

_Stiles was trying to kill him_ that as the only explanation Derek could think of for seeing Stiles standing in front of him in jeans that curved around his backside and clung to his…the front of his…Derek yanked his eyes away, they moulded to his thighs without being those horrid skinny leg things he kept seeing around campus. He had on a pair of dark brown cowboy boots and a thick belt with a giant buckle and two holsters slung low on either hip. His white shirt hidden beneath a brown leather vest. On his head was a cowboy hat tipped low over his eyes and Derek understood the stubble the younger man had been allowing to grow since it finished off the outfit. Derek was fairly certain his brain had just dribbled out of his ear and that if he didn't retreat to his bedroom and masturbate this second he'd do something terrible like drop to his knees, undo the zip of Stiles' jeans and swallow him whole right in the hallway while he was wearing the entire outfit.

Obviously Stiles was trying to kill him.

Except he didn't know that Derek was insanely in love with him so probably Stiles was just trying to look good for the fraternity fancy dress party and maybe trying to pick someone up at the party tonight. The lust low in Derek's belly and the painful erection pressing against his zip was not deliberate on Stiles' part but it was a good reason to get out of the hallway.

Derek smiled at Stiles with a maniacal glint before retreating to his bedroom quickly not understanding the question Stiles was asking to his back. He dropped his head against the wood of his door and closed his eyes then opened them…didn't matter all Derek could see was Stiles standing there looking like a cowboy. Derek closed his eyes hating himself and unzipped his pants, he wrapped his hand around himself, and came hard quickly against the door. He cleaned up and sat on the bed hating himself for being so weak again…always so weak when it came to his need for Stiles.

Stiles knocked on the door. "Derek, the party starts in half hour."

"Okay." Derek said standing and stripping before cleaning the door and slinging a towel around his waist. Derek opened the door to find Stiles still standing there. "Shower." Derek said dumbly.

"Course, so how do I look?" Stiles said throwing his arms out and twirling with a wicked grin.

"Very nice, Stiles. I'm sure you'll get hit on all night." Derek said before locking himself in the bathroom and turning just the cold water tap on. Derek missed the slight drop to the corner of Stiles' lips.

Derek stood under the spray and tried to remember why he didn't touch Stiles. He listed them off in his head as he washed methodically.

Stiles was human and therefore very breakable and prone to dying.

Stiles was straight, he had been in love with Lydia and then MJ last year.

Stiles was his best friend, a fact that always made him wonder when the hell the annoying, hyperactive, compulsive, funny guy he met that day in the woods had wormed his way under the walls and barricades and downright arsehole shield. He'd shut himself off the day his family had died, Laura holding him in front of his burned down house while the woman he thought he'd been in love with had disappeared with a note about being a hunter and things being different now and I hope I never see you again. He'd kept himself like that until Stiles forced his way in and demanded that Derek pay attention to him.

Stiles was the very centre of his pack. He was the thing that made Lydia less harsh and bitchy, made Scott slightly less oblivious and more serious, made Jackson relax and let a little of the scared little boy out. Stiles was the person who had calmed Danny when he'd been bitten and answered all his questions with unhidden glee and knowledge convincing the newest werewolf in his pack to accept Derek's bite, his control and protection, to slide into the pack as though he'd been there the whole time. He was the one who convinced Derek to let Allison into the pack more and more until she was as much a part of the pack as anyone else. Without Derek even realising it, Stiles had built him a pack and kept it all together in his own way. Derek dreaded ever having to admit to what that made Stiles in his life. That term, so special to a pack, would make him vulnerable to Stiles knowing everything and the power he really held.

Stiles was possibly more important to him than anyone in his life had been and the thought was more terrifying than seeing his uncle half transformed and knowing he'd killed his sister. Knowing he had to kill the very last member of his family.

Derek turned the water off with the sinking dread of knowing his arguments against telling Stiles he was in love with him were becoming less and less convincing. He reminded himself that he was going to step back and make sure that Stiles found someone that treated him well. Someone who would love him as much as he deserved and could make him happy. It was a decision he definitely didn't like to think about but he wanted Stiles to be happy.

He left the bathroom and made it into his room without seeing Stiles again. He pulled his clothes on, sliding the badge into his pocket and the plastic gun into the back of his pants. He smoothed his hands down the dark blue shirt, made sure it was tucked into his pants properly and opened his door heading towards the lounge room hearing Stiles moving around in his room.

"Lydia?" Derek said looking at his beta who was wearing something completely inappropriate in his living room. "What are you doing here?"

"Came for the party. I was here when you got home. I said hello." At Derek's blank stare she continued with a grin. "You were too busy drooling over Stiles to notice me."

Derek growled at Lydia and she grinned.

"Why are you here?" Derek demanded.

"Lydia came down to go to the party with us." Stiles said when he came back into the room wearing a leather duster over the outfit.

"Wow, Stiles, you look hot." She turned to Derek. "You on the other hand, Mr Alpha, look completely crap."

"Hey!" Derek said looking down at his quite boring outfit.

"It's a good thing I came prepared." Lydia said grabbing a plastic bag and Derek's elbow dragging him back to his room.

"Lydia!" Derek's exclamation made it out to Stiles where he was waiting in the lounge room. He grinned and listened as Derek protested and Lydia demanded until finally the door swung open. Derek was shoved out of his own door making Stiles' breath just freeze in the back of his throat. Stiles didn't know how to take the whole picture in. He knew he was staring and his cock was steadily filling and pressing into the zip of his jeans and his head felt light and he still couldn't breathe especially not when Derek started stalking down the hallway.

"Okay," Lydia said walking down behind him. "Let get out of here. No, Derek, you cannot wear a jacket it ruins the outfit."

Derek put down the jacket and glared at Lydia. "I assume you are putting something else on."

"Why?" Lydia said looking down at herself. "This is my outfit."

"You're dressed like a pro from the turn of last century!" Derek ground out.

"That's what I am." Lydia said giving a little twirl. "Allison and I were watching Moulin Rouge the other week and...hello idea."

Lydia was wearing black boyleg underwear with dark purple ruffles over her backside and straps that connected to her black lace topped stockings. She had on a vibrant purple corset with ice blue laces running the length of her spine, on the front there were two ropes of ice blue lace running down the line of boning that sat over her breasts and pushed them up giving her epic cleavage. There was a line of lace along the top of the corset back and front that matched the painfully high ice blue stilettos she was wearing. Her hair was teased and curled running down her back with black and deep purple hair extensions spread throughout and held away from her face with a silver tiara with purple jewels. The outfit was finished with a set of elbow length fingerless black gloves and a couple of extravagantly large rings. Her chest was sparkly like she was covered in glitter which had made Stiles run his finger along her collarbone while she giggled when she'd first emerged from the bathroom dressed.

"You cannot go to a frat party dressed like that." Derek said his arms crossing over his chest. "Can she, Stiles?"

"Huh?" Stiles said staring at Derek dumbly for a few heartbeats before catching up. "What? No, she looks good and we can keep an eye on her." Lydia turned on him her eyebrow lifting. "Okay, fine, you can take care of yourself. I am useless but we will be keeping an eye on you so deal with it."

"Fine, I can take care of myself. I look amazing and feel good so, Derek, get over it." Lydia said with a grin pulling her stockings up just a little higher which was when Stiles noticed the line running up the back of each stocking, he had to admit she did look fucking hot.

"You do look hot." Stiles conceded with a grin. "Still going to keep an eye on you though."

Lydia grinned and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "You look smoking too, Stiles. Wanna go home with me tonight?" She asked with a wink.

"Only if you promise to sleep with me."

"Oh I suppose." Lydia said curling her arm through one of Stiles'. "What about Derek? Are we all painfully good looking tonight or what?"

Stiles looked at Derek again, started at his feet with the scuffed black boots, the insanely bright yellow pants gathering at the top where they were too long, with a band of reflective tape at the bottom; they were bagging, running the full length of his legs and sitting on his hips with a red button. The red suspenders hanging down on either side of his hips, some smudges of black on his hip, his left pectoral, the top abdominal muscle on the right side, his arm, his hand, and his cheek. Making him look for all the world like a fireman fresh from a fire. He had a red fireman's helmet on his head finishing off the outfit though he was missing a jacket. He looked amazing and Stiles was having a hard time convincing his hormones to calm down just looking at him.

"Yeah, we are all pretty good looking." Stiles conceded. "We should be off, don't want to be late."

"Wait! I have one more thing for Derek's outfit." Lydia said rummaging in her bag and pulling out an axe which she handed Derek gleefully. "Okay," she said standing back. "All done now. Let's go."

The three of them left the apartment and headed to the Delta Delta Pi fraternity where one of Stiles' friends from journalism was a brother and had invited them to their fancy dress party. Stiles had been so gleeful at the prospect of dressing up Derek had agreed before his brain had even really thought about what was happening. Derek did not remember Stiles telling him Lydia was going to come or that she was going to be dressed like a hooker. He was going to have to spend the night glaring at any number of men and women thinking she was an easy target. There was no way she was not coming home with him tonight. No way was she going to be out of his sight long enough for anything to happen.

Stiles grabbed Derek's elbow and let Lydia get a little in front of them. "She broke up with Miguel."

"Why?" Derek whispered back.

"Her story to tell, she needs a night of fun and being hit on. Don't be too overbearing tonight, okay?"

"Another Stiles problem?" Derek forced a grin onto his face; he wanted to know what was wrong with Lydia so he could help her but he knew that honestly he could do no more than whatever Stiles was already doing.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't. So long as she is talking to someone."

"She is."

"Good. So drinking and fun tonight?" Derek whispered watching Lydia in front of him.

"Exactly, I know you are protective. I know you will want to punch someone for something by the end of the evening but just leave her be."

"If you say so I'll keep my distance and my eye on her in case."

"Of course you are, because you love her and you want her to be safe even if she is more than capable of protecting herself. And can make her own decisions about what is and is not appropriate behaviour."

"Exactly," Derek said, feeling both complimented and warned.

Stiles beamed at Derek and Derek felt himself returning the grin. It made him feel lighter when he did something that obviously made Stiles happier, made the younger man aware of how important he was. Derek watched Stiles lengthen his stride to catch up with Lydia throwing his arm around her shoulders when he got there. Derek allowed himself a few minutes to think about Stiles' costume. Even hidden beneath the jacket Derek could perfectly picture the costume. He knew with morbid certainty that he would want to punch a number of people tonight and the ones hitting on Lydia would be the least of his problems. But he had to take advantage of tonight and really start to step back.

Derek rushed to catch up with Lydia and Stiles and when he got there Lydia curled an arm through his elbow and they walked towards the frat house, the party could be heard well before it could be seen but when they were standing on the doorstep they found the door inexplicably locked. Stiles rang the bell and assumed they'd need to go around the back or something to get into the house but moments later the door in front of them began to swing open.

"Stiles!" The green alien on the other side of the door said with glee.

"Hey, Eoin." Stiles smiled and stepped through the door. "You remember Derek. And this is Lydia."

Eoin studied Lydia, from her blue shoes to her tiara and then leaned forward. "Hi, Lydia, I'm Eoin. My bedroom is right upstairs."

Derek took half a step forward. Stiles grabbed his wrist and watched Lydia.

Lydia lifted her hand up, slapped Eoin lightly on the cheek and said with a painfully sweet voice. "Yes and I have standards! Drinks this way?"

Lydia started walking and Derek followed her, Stiles looked at his friend and laughed. "She is way out of your league, dude."

"I know how to climb."

Stiles laughed again and followed his pack mates.

/ / / Lydia's POV \ \ \

Lydia was a little drunk and was sitting next to a tall guy who looked absolutely nothing like Miguel…or for that matter Logan. She was debating whether or not she should let him kiss her while watching her fearless (stupid, utterly stupid) alpha and her best friend try not to look at one another, try not to watch the other person every minute.

She'd been watching them since Derek had walked into their apartment earlier and looked so utterly shattered when he'd seen Stiles. For a second she'd wondered if he was finally just going to throw Stiles over his shoulder, walk them to his room, and spend the rest of the night peeling Stiles' costume off before they were both able to show how much they cared. Then Derek had hidden in his room and she'd wanted to throw Stiles in there with him and make them do something finally.

When they'd arrived Derek had stayed by Stiles' side until some girl came over and started talking to him, her friend trying to talk to Derek with no luck. Derek had retreated, leaving Stiles alone looking like someone had just stolen his favourite teddy bear and refused to give it back. She drank another shot and groaned as she'd watched Derek find himself a spot where he could watch Stiles chatting to both women. She watched Stiles too, laughing, making both the girls laugh as he talked to them. He was open and comfortable and she knew if he wanted to he could go home with at least one of them at the end of the night but he was never going to actually do anything about them. Stiles' heart was hiding in the corner wishing he was the focus of all that attention.

Lydia watched Derek nurse his beer and watch Stiles completely ignoring the parade of guys and girls who floated close to him, wishing, hoping that he would look their way before they either gave up or sucked up the courage to approach only for Derek to give them a quick and brutal brush off. More than one of them ended up sculling their drinks before being enveloped back into their group of friends. Derek wasn't being mean deliberately but he was crushing people left and right as he ignored everyone to watch Stiles.

After a while Stiles gravitated back to Derek's side like he always did. Handing over a new beer and settling next to Derek where he was propping up the wall. They chatted and the pinched look on Derek's face disappeared. After a while though he would start to frown and excuse himself leaving Stiles alone to be approached by someone he knew or who was interested in getting to know him. Lydia watched this play out at least four times before Stiles came and found her when Derek left him. She knew Derek had been keeping an eye on her as she floated around the party, doing her own chatting up or being hit on. Miguel had done a spectacular job of cheating on her with half of his class but every guy, and a few girls, who came over to chat her up made her start to feel better. She was so glad she had agreed to come up to the party in the end. Stiles always made her feel better about things and he'd been working overtime since she'd arrived that morning.

"How you doing gorgeous?" Stiles asked when Derek disappeared again.

"I'm good," Lydia said welcoming the warm arm he threw over her shoulder after he moved the guy who'd been sitting there along.

"Derek is being weird," Stiles said. "He keeps disappearing on me."

"Really?"

"Very odd," Stiles said and she could feel his shrug. "Must have some friends here too. I think I saw the guy from his microeconomics class."

"Obviously," Lydia nodded. She wanted to clue him in but she kept herself from doing it.

"Some girl named Alex asked me if I knew what a lemon drop was and if I wanted her to do it me. She was quite drunk; one of her friends came to take her home. But I felt utterly pathetic since I have no idea what it is."

Lydia turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I can't help you, babe."

"Stiles!"

"Hey, Chris."

"Come with me," he paused and looked at Lydia. "Bring your hot girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Stiles said even as he grabbed Lydia's hand and pulled her along with him outside.

The rest of the night was a whirling mix of Stiles' friends who sat in a circle outside under a tree. They played drinking games and laughed. Stiles dragged Derek out to join them but Lydia could see him swinging between enjoying the company and pulling away. She had no idea what was wrong with him but decided his damage was his own business tonight and threw herself into enjoying the people and the party.

Later, as they walked home, Stiles stumbling a little between them Lydia thanked Derek for not hovering too badly during the night. As she did she realised the other thing that was utterly bizarre about tonight. Derek normally glared at everyone and anyone who hit on Stiles but tonight he'd been actively pushing Stiles in the way of others. The slight tequila buzz helped her connect the dots while Stiles muttered about stars and snuggling in his bed. Derek was trying to get Stiles to date. She didn't understand why but she knew her alpha had finally cracked. They would have to do something soon to force the issue before Stiles did something that broke Derek's heart. It would be the alpha's own damned fault too.

/\/\/\

Derek could hear Stiles in his bedroom packing things up, moving around and talking to himself as he did. The sounds were comforting and he wanted to go into the bedroom with him and sit on his bed and chat while Stiles did his things. Derek didn't want to be in his own room; he wanted to be with Stiles.

That thought was what told Derek he should ask Stiles to move out, he had to get Stiles out of his apartment. He wanted to make sure Stiles was happy and while he was living with Derek he spent most of his time with Derek. God, almost all of his time with Derek. As much as Derek loved it and want it, craved it, he knew that while it was happening Stiles wouldn't be meeting people or…going on dates. Derek remembered the date he'd watched between Stiles and MJ and told himself he wouldn't follow Stiles on his next date.

He thought when he had asked Stiles to move in with him that he'd be fine. He might even get over it, seeing all of the annoying things that Stiles did. But Stiles just kept being Stiles who did annoying things but then would make pizza from scratch because he was bored and only put Derek's favourite toppings on it. He would download some of Derek's music onto his iPod for the drive to and from Beacon Hills and make cinnamon rolls on the anniversary of the fire because his mum had made them when he was little. But would never say anything about the fire or what happened because he knew the pain felt as real now as it had then.

Stiles kept his pack together, and allowed Derek to think he was in charge even though he'd finally realised that Stiles, not Derek, was the leader and centre of the pack. All the wolves would follow Stiles anywhere. Derek realised, as he stared up at the poster of the Crab Nebula Stiles had bought him after he'd found out Derek loved astronomy, that he'd follow Stiles anywhere too. This was not how alphas should act, this was not how he should be acting but he couldn't help himself. He needed some distance so he could do the right thing. Maybe when they were home again. He could stay home when the rest of the pack went to Cambridge while Lydia was doing her internship at MIT. It would seem odd but it would give him a break. He wouldn't be tempted to growl at anyone when they started to flirt with Stiles, and they would, they always did.

Stiles started singing something as he moved around his room. Derek grunted and without making any decision to do so he found himself suddenly standing in Stiles' doorway and watched the younger man's hips swing to the beat of the music coming out of the speakers next to his bed. Stiles grinned at him as he started to sing along to Mumford and Sons.

"Sit down." Stiles said nodding at the only part of his bed not covered with something.

Derek moved into the room, the scent of Stiles filling his lungs as he grinned at Stiles' singing.

"I thought you were studying for exams."

"I needed a break." Derek explained folding the shirts that Stiles had thrown onto the bed in front of him.

"Don't worry. I'll sort it out." Stiles said with a smile.

"It's okay." Derek said. "I need to do something with my hands."

"Want to go for a run after I've finished packing?" Stiles asked. "Before you get back to the studying."

"That sounds perfect."

"Good. Oh, I meant to tell you I'm going to leave for home a couple of days after we said. MJ is having a party after her last exam and invited me. So I'll just drive up then."

"Okay." Derek said ignoring the twinge that still happened whenever Stiles mentioned MJ. It was good; maybe it would be better than the frat party. Without Derek or Lydia there Stiles might meet someone. It would be good.

"I've decided to just take my warm clothes home; I'm going to leave everything else here. Just makes things easier. Since I'll be here again next year." Stiles said his voice lifting at the end in question.

"Of course you'll be here next year. You can live here as long as you want." Derek said the faint idea of Stiles not living here next year disappearing like a wisp of smoke in the face of actually seeing Stiles. Derek wanted to reel the words back in and think about them. He knew he was fucked. The idea of Stiles being out there and finding someone, of Derek knowing that things were never going to happen was a sweet one. The problem was that Stiles stood in front of Derek and the alpha turned stupid and couldn't force himself to follow through with the plan.

But Derek could use his pack, he would use his pack and Stiles would pull away on his own.

Derek knew his resistance was crumbling and he was beginning to think telling Stiles and knowing that he didn't want Derek might just be the only thing that would save him from becoming even more lovesick and pathetic. But he didn't want to risk opening himself up like that, finding Stiles a girlfriend was a much better option.

Stiles beamed at him and Derek felt his face cracking into an insane smile as he rested back on Stiles' bed and watched the younger man shove clothes haphazardly into his bag as he chattered about his plans for the summer.

**Bonus Scene**

Lydia was the last to join the phone call. "I am sick of this," she said in lieu of a greeting.

"We all are." Jackson and Allison said together.

"They have been living together for a year, a year and neither of them has cracked and just torn the others clothes off to do dark and dirty things to the other." Danny said exasperated.

"We could handcuff them together." Allison suggested.

"Sit them down and tell them that they are in love and should just get over it already." Danny put forth.

"God, I thought that whole thing with Jasmine might have prompted Derek to finally crack." Scott said.

"I think that was yet another example of how Derek could hurt Stiles; he is insanely obsessed with the idea that he is going to hurt Stiles if he lets himself get any closer." Allison said sadly.

"Is it even possible for the two of them to get any closer?" Scott asked.

"Mistletoe." Jackson suggested.

"Christmas is months away." Lydia reminded him. "And yes, Scott, they could be naked and wrapped around one another that would be closer."

"Ugh." Scott moaned into the phone.

Danny and Lydia laughed at him every time he got disturbed by the mental image of his best friend having sex, which was one of the reasons Lydia so enjoyed bringing it up, in occasionally graphic detail.

"Plus now Derek's decided Stiles should date. I told you about that frat party. My God they were both as bad as one another watching the other all night and the way Derek looked when Stiles even spoke to someone else. It was both heartbreaking and pathetic. How are they so fucking oblivious?"

"Years of practise?" Jackson suggested.

"I say we get them home under some pretence, lock them in the panic room, throw lots of lube and condoms in after them, and just don't come back to let them out for a week." Lydia said into the phone.

"Would that work?" Allison asked. "Couldn't Derek break out?"

"Werewolf proof, built to withstand rabid alpha."

"I don't think a week is enough time. How much food does he have down there? I say we leave them until they run out of food." Danny threw in over the phone.

"I don't want to think about Stiles having sex." Scott added.

"Yeah because mopey, horny, grumpy alpha is so much better than the image of Stiles riding his cock…actually it totally is. I need to wash my brain out with something." Jackson said muttering at the end.

"Three months." Scott said. "If they haven't sorted themselves out by the end of July, we lock them down there for August. They will still be able to go to school for the start of the year and hopefully have enough of it out of their system I never have to walk in on them having sex."

"That was one time." Jackson countered.

"Seven." Danny and Scott said at once.

"Seriously, Jackson, go to your room to have sex, and lock the door." Lydia said disgusted with her ex-boyfriend and herself for having dated him.

"End of July." Allison said to bring them back. The problem with the pack was that without Stiles or Derek to keep them focussed they ended up getting side-tracked and bickering.

"Agreed." Four werewolves responded.

"Good, I am hanging up. Talk to all of you later." Allison said.

One by one they all hung up happy to finally have a plan. It had been three years since Derek and Stiles had started developing feelings for one each other and they had steadily progressed until they were both completely and utterly stupid for one another and pissing off everyone as they seemed to deliberately ignore the other's feelings. They needed to fix things for their friends, who they desperately wanted to be happy together (hopefully before someone hurt the two of them). And for their own sanity.

/\/\/\


	14. 14 - FTDGASAOTHE – 07 – Joshua

**14 - FTDGASAOTHE – 07 – Joshua**

_"Stiles!" Stiles knew the voice and it was not coming from Scott even as his best friend reached out and touched him. Stiles looked down to see what Scott was doing to find his abdomen wet with blood…the drips hitting the floor beneath him._

_"Stiles!" Derek's scream was the last thing Stiles heard as he hit the ground._

/\/\/\

Joshua slid his memory card into the computer while the camera battery was recharging.

The photos started coming up and he clicked on the first one so that he could start adding to his notes. His father had always told him that the most important thing about hunting was to know your target; their strengths, weaknesses, habits, and preferences. Joshua had been tracking this man for a month and he was certain that he was dealing with a werewolf.

Joshua looked at the two timetables he'd hacked into the university servers to download. He knew when both would be out of the house and the best time to test them. He was certain they were werewolves but he had to _know_ before he could move his plan along. He flicked through the rest of the pictures, he couldn't be sure if the younger of the two men, Stiles, was the other's, Derek's, mate or not. Joshua kept catching him with other people, one woman in particular, who he seemed to be either involved with or who he simply spent a lot of time flirting with. In Joshua's experience werewolves were possessive and territorial of their partners but he hadn't seen Derek possessive enough for Stiles to be his mate and yet there was definitely an air of relationship about the two of them as well. There were too many questions about these two and Joshua hated unanswered questions.

Joshua made himself something to drink and set himself to planning their first meeting.

/\/\/\

Joshua checked the hallway again before he knocked. The apartment wasn't normal student housing, close by but too expensive for most students so he was fairly certain none of the other tenants would be around during the middle of a work day. He waited patiently even as his fingers itched to reach into his pocket and grab his water pistol. The younger of the two men came to the door first and Joshua stared at him.

"Hello?" The possible werewolf, Stiles, asked.

"Are you Stiles Stilinski?" Joshua asked focussing on the man in front of him and trying to keep an eye on the space behind him. They should both be there but the older man hadn't come out.

"Yes." That was all Joshua needed to know, he could hear Stiles continuing as he pulled the water pistol out of his pocket and shot…the man spat the water out, glared at him, questioned his intentions but he didn't growl or howl and he didn't react like a werewolf. Joshua frowned and began questioning his research when Derek appeared.

"Derek Hale?" Joshua asked just to be sure even though his face matched all the surveillance photographs and Joshua had been following him for a month. Stiles reached out for Derek but the older man said yes before the human was able to stop him and Joshua shot him as Stiles was able to warn him.

Derek reacted as expected; he was definitely a werewolf. Joshua's research was right. Though it did pose the question of what a werewolf was doing with a human who wasn't treated as an omega and wasn't family. Joshua had never seen a human who was simply a member of a werewolf pack. He needed to do more research, he needed to watch them more carefully, and he really needed to work out what was going on in this little pack.

The door slammed in front of him but Joshua wasn't paying attention anymore. He tucked his water pistol back into his pocket and left the building. He had work to do.

Joshua made it home after going through his usual anti-tracking routine and pulled up the documents he was keeping on Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski. He typed HUMAN in red next to Stiles' name but didn't close the document. He would not harm the human however there was obviously more to this relationship – he knew what Derek was and chose to live with him. Joshua wrote WEREWOLF next to Derek's name and found all the files he could on humans in werewolf packs. He had not been able to find information on Derek's pack yet but now that he knew that Derek was definitely a werewolf he could watch him and find out everything he would need to know to put a stop to the werewolf pack. He needed to take down the whole pack, simply cutting off the metaphorical head by killing the alpha wasn't enough. Another would take Derek's place and if he was liked then the pack would attempt to hunt Joshua down.

According to the vast resources that Joshua, and his family before him, had built up there were only three reasons that a werewolf kept a human in their pack; they were intended to be turned, they were human family members (Joshua would need to research that option just to double check), and they were kept as an omega (the new, disgusting meaning of the word rather than the traditional position of a werewolf without a pack). Of all of the possibilities the first seemed the most likely. Which would alter Joshua's timeline; he needed to stop Derek before he turned Stiles and Joshua had another werewolf to hunt.

/\/\/\

Joshua had become aware of the possibility of a werewolf at Berkeley when he found an article from years before, a woman's body found in an abandoned lot – she had been mauled, the official police report said a wild animal, possibly a pack of stray dogs, but Joshua's instincts had been alerted by the article. He had packed up the hotel room he'd been staying at and headed for the campus. He'd been in the area for close to two weeks before he was able to get a lead which led him directly to Derek Hale, who had been a student at the university at the time of the woman's dead and had now returned. There were a number of staff from the university that spanned the time and of course all of the local residents. However, the murder, a mere fortnight before Derek had left the university, and the three separate reports of a giant dog on campus within the last year pointed to werewolf. The campus police, and the real police, dismissed all of the reports because the people making them were drunk. Joshua wasn't so quick to dismiss their reports so he went and talked to them all. There was a chance that some of the report might be alcohol related but the description of the beast they had seen was closer to werewolf than dog. Joshua had started to watch Derek, and his roommate, and with his test now out of the way he was sure that he had his culprit. He would need to find the rest of the pack before he made his move though; Joshua did not like to go into any situation without as much information as possible.

/\/\/\

Joshua had not intended to confront the werewolf again. He had all the information he needed; Derek was a werewolf, therefore he needed to be put down as soon as Joshua knew exactly who his pack were and the best ways to kill them.

He hadn't intended to see Derek at all that second time – he wanted to know more about Stiles. Joshua had been watching the human but he needed to know more. He had found the best time in Stiles' schedule to intercept him. Derek wouldn't be on campus – they never met after this particular class.

Joshua was watching from the pillar of another building when Derek walked up to Stiles' class. Joshua swore – he knew he should walk away but he wanted to talk to Stiles and he had his blade with him as a precaution. Perhaps if he followed they would separate and he would be able to corner the human and warn him away from the dangerous path that he was walking.

He knew he had been spotted though and he debated whether to leave or to pursue. On one hand if he was able to catch them he might get some information. And by this point they knew that Joshua was following them. They would change their patterns and then Joshua would have to find another opportunity to separate Stiles which might make him too late to ensure that there wasn't another werewolf to deal with. He kept following, attempting to work out where the werewolf was leading him.

He saw them dart out from an alcove and realised that the werewolf was protecting the human. He would never be able to get Stiles alone now. He would simply need to wound the werewolf and then catch up to Stiles and explain why living with a werewolf was a terrible idea.

Derek led them into a clump of trees and stopped, turning to face Joshua with Stiles tucked almost behind him.

"I know you are human, you can leave." Joshua offered, knowing Stiles would not take him up on it.

"Who are you?" Stiles asked.

"Joshua." Joshua had been known by many names but he always kept his Christian name, the one given to him by his father.

"Why are you following us?" Derek growled, stepping just a little more directly in front of Stiles.

"Because you are a werewolf and I hunt you filthy mutts and I will be here to make sure you don't hurt anyone else at this school." Joshua always found it helpful to make the werewolves think that he was just a hunter – them underestimating him was a powerful tool.

"Anyone else?" Stiles asked popping his head up above Derek's shoulder, Derek growled at him so Stiles dropped back down. So, the human didn't know about the other murder. Perhaps it was someone that Derek had been sleeping with before Stiles. Joshua would have to do more research to see if that was Derek's way of breaking up with a human – ripping their throat out.

"I read about the last person here. I will kill you when I am sure I have all of you though."

Joshua took the opportunity their confusion gave him to lash out at Derek. The blade was dipped in his own personal mixture – designed to debilitate and if untreated perhaps even kill; though werewolves were notoriously hard to kill. He didn't want Derek dead yet though it was beginning to look like he would be able to trace the rest of the pack through Stiles. Joshua turned to leave as Stiles rushed to the werewolf's side. He couldn't resist turning around and offering a final piece of advice.

"I'd leave him, human, before you get dragged down to hell with him."

Joshua turned again and rushed from the clearing. He knew that Stiles wouldn't leave Derek to chase him but he didn't take any chances as he did everything he could to make sure no one could follow him – werewolf senses or not.

/\/\/\

The next time he saw Stiles it was an accident. He was sitting in a café near the public library and he looked up to see Stiles and a woman, MJ – definitely human and unaware of werewolves, sitting on the other side of the establishment. He knew the moment that Stiles saw him meaning he couldn't slip away as he'd intended when he saw the other man. Stiles said something to MJ and then rushed from the café heading back to campus. Joshua should have known not to go to a café so close to campus. He knew he wouldn't have another opportunity to speak to Stiles alone. Joshua had given up on the possibility of Stiles leaving the werewolf but he could at least see what information he could get from the other man now.

"Why are you doing this?" Stiles asked, turning around and watching him.

"He's a werewolf."

"And a good man."

Joshua shook his head at Stiles' gullibility. "He's not a man anymore. He's a werewolf. He will just end up hurting you."

"He's been a werewolf his whole life – he's a better man than you." Joshua filed that information away for later – born werewolves were reported to be stronger than made ones but he had never dealt with one before. "He has never hunted someone down like you're hunting us."

"He's the werewolf. If you walk away I'm not going to come after you."

"I'm not about to leave him when I know you're trying to kill you."

Joshua understood what the other man wasn't saying – he wouldn't have left Derek no matter what was happening.

"Obviously, he survived our last meeting then."

Stiles swore but Joshua would have heard if the werewolf had have died. "You sliced his chest open," Stiles said, gesturing along his chest and Joshua caught sight of a flash of black ink. He stopped listening to the other man and reached out, grabbing Stiles' arm.

Stiles tried to pull away but Joshua dug his fingers in so that he could see the tattoo on his wrist. It was a werewolf mark. He recognised it from his grandfather's journals. There could only be one reason for a human to be wearing a werewolf mark. It was a pack mark. He had read about them but they were not as common as they used to be. Joshua realised that Stiles wasn't just naïve, he was stupid enough to be planning to be turned and believed that he was already in the pack. Joshua dropped Stiles' hand and left. As he made his way home he knew he was going to have to stop Stiles along with the rest of the pack.

/\/\/\

Joshua drove along the highway following Derek's black Camaro. Stiles was still in Berkeley but Derek was the werewolf so the hunter didn't mind letting the human out of his sight. They were heading home for the summer with Stiles to follow Derek. Joshua hadn't realised that they weren't originally from Berkeley. If they were only living in Berkeley for university he might have misjudged Derek's position of alpha. Joshua would know for sure once they arrived; Derek's pack would be in his home town. Joshua hadn't focussed heavily on where they came from as werewolves tended to stay at home, or close to, but now that he knew they were both from the town of Beacon Hills he knew where the rest of the pack must be.

When they arrived Derek drove away from the town again and into the woods that overlooked the town. Joshua parked at one of the many hiking stops and set out to find the property.

He surveyed the woods for two weeks until he was sure that he knew exactly who was in the pack, where the buildings were, and their weaknesses.

Then he started planning his attack.

/\/\/\

On a Wednesday, just after dawn Joshua started moving towards the house. He hefted the heavy backpack on his shoulder and moved as quietly as he could through the trees. In his backpack he had everything he would need to keep the wolves in the house. He had watched them long enough to know that the town's sheriff knew about the wolves but he wasn't sure if the man was corrupt or not. From what Joshua had been able to find out in his research Derek had been arrested once for murder but he was released and his uncle was discovered to be the murderer instead. Werewolves always ended up murdering someone; Joshua knew that. He suspected, from the fact that Peter Hale's crimes were reported, that the sheriff wasn't under Derek's thumb even if his son was.

Joshua was a hunter though and he wasn't going to take any chances. The sheriff wasn't working and after a full moon the wolves would be worn from their run the night before and less powerful than they were in the lead up to the lunar event.

He circled around the house, checking all of the windows and doors with his binoculars. There was no sign of movement within the house and the whole pack would be there. Joshua had come out the night before to make sure that all five members of the pack, plus their two humans, were there. He crept up to the front door, setting his traps to ensure they couldn't escape and circle around behind him. He had debated calling out a hunter he knew lived in the area…Argent, but the pack wasn't too big and if the other hunter hadn't already taken this pack out he might have died since Joshua had last heard from him.

When he was sure that the flash bang grenades and the other traps were set he snuck around to the backdoor of the house and took a deep breath, preparing himself. He looked up and into the kitchen door and swore when he saw Stiles standing there frozen. In the moment their eyes met Stiles turned and started running. Joshua pulled his sawed-off shotgun out of his bag and shot a hole in the backdoor as Stiles' voice rang out through the house.

Joshua stepped through the backdoor as the first growl filled the air. He swore and started moving.

"Stiles, get to the panic room," Derek yelled out.

Joshua cursed – he hadn't come prepared to lay siege to a panic room, especially not in a panic room that was in a werewolf's house. He rushed through the kitchen and cut Stiles off from running down a hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles asked.

"I'm making sure these werewolves never kill another human being." Joshua twisted and shot the werewolf who was running at him but Danny twisted and caught the buckshot in the side instead of the stomach. Joshua threw the gun away – he wouldn't have time to reload with all of the pack coming towards him at once. Joshua hated a plan that didn't come together.

He pulled the sword from the sheath on his back. He liked the weight of the hilt within his fist and turned to face Danny who had placed himself between Joshua and Stiles. He knew the rest of the pack was about to crash into the room, a little surprised they weren't there already, and he knew he would need to take them out quickly. He twisted his wrist and lunged at Danny slicing into the werewolf's side and twisting up until he hit rib. He pulled his sword back and lifted his arm ready to take off his head when Stiles yanked the werewolf out of the way.

Joshua grunted out his displeasure and stabbed at Stiles, missing him by a hair's breadth. He twisted back into the movement and caught Stiles' shoulder nicking the skin and drawing an immediate flow of blood.

The growl that hit Joshua was loud, violent, and terrifying. He made another lunge for Stiles but the man pulled away again, getting caught under the weight of Danny next to him and falling heavily. His fall revealed Derek running at him, fangs and claws sharp and eyes leaking red around the electric blue. Joshua shifted his stance and let Derek's momentum embed the blade into the werewolf's body; stalling his momentum. Stiles had pushed Danny out of the way and was standing up, ignoring the pull of Scott's hands to pull him away from the fighting. Lydia was running in though, yanking Derek, and the blade, from his grip. Joshua swore and reached out, using the werewolf's grip on Derek to help him pull the blade from the resisting flesh.

/\/\/\

"Derek!" Stiles yelled out, fighting against the hold Scott had on him. He couldn't let Joshua hurt Derek.

"Stiles," Scott said, finally pushing the human back and into the wall. "Stop, you're going to get hurt."

"Derek's been stabbed."

Scott turned and watched as Jackson rushed at Joshua, side stepping the blade and landing a heavy punch to the hunter's jaw.

"We've got this. Get down to the panic room."

Stiles nodded – he knew he'd be a liability at the moment but he couldn't make his feet move seeing the Derek's blood forming a puddle under him.

Scott turned his back on Stiles and rushed into the fight, using his forearm to knock the blade out of the way before he punched Joshua splitting the hunter's lip. He missed the small blade that Joshua pulled from his hip and stabbed into Scott's chest. Stiles knew it wasn't his heart – the wrong side of his body but his own heart stopped in fear. He needed to do something. He needed to stop Joshua but…

Stiles rushed from the room, grabbing items as he went until he made it into the kitchen and the lemons. He didn't even know if this was going to work as he squeezed lemons into a mug and listened to his pack howl, bodies thump, and the frantic sounds of fighting. He finished and rushed back down the hallway, ducking around Derek, who was pulling himself back to his feet, and Lydia, who was unconscious, to throw the mug right into Joshua's eyes.

The moment the lemon hit Joshua swung around blindly and his sword slid through the flesh of Stiles' stomach before he dropped to the ground in pain. Stiles heard the sirens in the distance – Allison must have called them from the panic room. He looked down at Joshua writhing on the floor and felt no guilt, only pleasure that he's protected the pack.

"Stiles!" Scott yelled and Stiles turned to him, the world suddenly moving very slowly.

"Stiles!" Stiles knew the voice and it was not coming from Scott even as his best friend reached out and touched him. Stiles looked down to see what Scott was doing to find his abdomen wet with blood…the drips hitting the floor beneath him.

"Stiles!" Derek's scream was the last thing Stiles heard as he hit the ground.

When he woke up he was in the hospital, the stark white everything and the beeping from next to him telling him where he was. The pain throughout his stomach and abdomen confirming it for him, he looked to the side and found Derek sitting next to him looking at him intently.

"Derek?" Stiles croaked.

"Stiles." Derek said; staring at him silently.

"What happened?"

"Joshua stabbed you twice. You had surgery. Your dad is talking to the doctor."

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah. We all healed from what happened."

"Did you bite me?" Stiles asked slowly trying to keep his eyes open.

"No." Derek said, surprised he even asked.

"Okay, so tired." Stiles let his eyes close and felt sleep overtaking him. Derek was here so it would all be fine.

Derek let his hand ghost down Stiles' arm when he was asleep again. He would be okay, he had to be okay. Derek hadn't slept since the fight, since his pack had stood against the hunter who kept coming after them. Since they had stopped him but not before Stiles had been injured.

Derek closed his eyes and could still see Stiles lying on the floor bleeding out.

He pulled away from the younger man and looked at him knowing that he would have to walk away. And stay away. He had always known that being in Stiles' life would put him in danger but now he couldn't keep pretending that he was strong enough to protect the human.

The door opened behind him and Derek turned around to see Sam.

"Sheriff, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Derek looked back at Stiles. "I need to go."

"He'll want to see you when he wakes up."

"He was awake for a few minutes. He's seen me."

"Derek, you know-"

"That it was my fault he was hurt. So, I shouldn't be here when he wakes up."

"He won't blame you."

"He'll understand," Derek said walking through the door.

"No, he won't," Sam said quietly in the hospital room but Derek heard him anyway.

He could sense the pack in the waiting room so he slipped out of another exit and ran home.

/\/\/\

Stiles woke again late the next day when they were changing his dressings.

"What?" He groaned out, trying to push them away.

"Stiles," a woman said, looking down at him.

"What, stop."

"Stiles," suddenly Melissa entered his line of sight.

"Melissa?"

"Stiles, calm down, we're changing your dressings. You need to lie still."

"Dressings?" Stiles asked, breathing heavily. He blinked at her. "I…oh, Derek. The hunter. Am I okay?"

"You're fine, Stiles, just relax."

"Okay."

Stiles stared at the ceiling as they moved him around and redressed his wounds. His ankle hurt, his shoulder and stomach felt like they were on fire, and he could tell that his face was swollen. He tried to work out what else hurt but the harder he tried to concentrate the more difficult he found it until he fell into unconsciousness again.

/\/\/\

"He's waking up."

"How do you know?"

"His heartbeat is different."

"How ca…you're right."

"Of course I am, we're brothers."

"I don't think you understand what brothers means."

"H-H," Stiles had to stop and clear his throat, "he's my brother."

"From another mother," Scott finished.

Stiles opened his eyes and found the pack sitting around his bed.

"What's going on?"

Scott walked over and rested his hip against the bed. "You don't remember?"

Stiles thought back and remembered, trying to sit up. "Joshua. Is Derek okay?"

"Lie down," Scott said, pushing Stiles back into the bed. "He's fine."

Stiles looked around the hospital room. "Where is he?"

Scott turned and looked at Lydia.

"He's not here. Is he healing?" Stiles asked.

"He was here until you woke up. Then he went home."

"I only just woke up."

The hospital room door opened and a doctor walked in.

"You're not all supposed to be in here at once," the doctor said, holding the door open. "I need to check Mr Stilinski over so you're all going to need to step outside."

"Okay," Scott said, stepping away quickly and ushering the rest of the pack out of the door. Stiles knew he was trying to get away just a little too eagerly.

"What happened to me?" Stiles asked.

The doctor got the chart from the wall and smiled at him. "My name is Dr Oliver, how are you feeling?"

"My abdomen is sore and my shoulder hurts. My ankle is pretty sore too."

"Is that everything?"

Stiles shook his head. "Just the important stuff."

Dr Oliver nodded and started checking him over as he talked. "You came into the ED with stab wounds on your abdomen and shoulder. You have torn ligaments in your left ankle along with several other bruises and contusions."

Stiles looked down at his stomach when the doctor pulled the covers off him. There was a large bandage circling his lower abdomen. "Well, there goes my chances for a perfect six-pack."

The doctor chuckled. "The wound was quite serious, Mr Stilinski."

"How serious?"

"The wound nicked your intestine after passing through all three layers of abdominal muscles. You are lucky that the sheriff's department arrived when they did."

Stiles remembered talking to Derek…the alpha hadn't bitten him and now he understood why – he hadn't had time.

"That is lucky," Stiles said quietly, thinking about the look on Derek's face. He continued listening to the doctor with one ear.

"You won't be able to put any weight on your ankle for a couple of weeks but other than that we should be able to release you the day after tomorrow."

"How long will I be in hospital for?"

The doctor frowned at him. "Should I ask one of your friends in while we discuss this? I know your father isn't here."

Stiles blinked at him. "Scott."

The doctor walked to the door and asked Scott into the room.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked, stepping up to the bed.

"Mr Stilinski, can you tell me how old you are?"

Stiles frowned at him. "Twenty."

Dr Oliver looked at Scott who nodded.

"What is seventy-three minus fifteen?"

"Fifty-eight."

"If tomorrow is Tuesday and I ask you to come in ten days later what day would it be?"

"Friday."

"Why are you asking these questions?" Scott asked, leaning forward; worried.

"Stiles, asked a question that I had answered a few moments before."

Stiles grimaced. "I remembered Derek being here when I woke up."

Scott sighed. "He's not confused. Derek always distracts him."

The doctor nodded. "I need to make sure so I'm going to ask a few more questions."

"Okay," Stiles said, focussing on the doctor.

"I'm going to say five words. I want you to remember them. Silver, copper, tomorrow, yes, purple."

"S-"

"First, can you tell me the square root for sixty-four?"

"Eight."

"And the five words?"

"Silver…copper, tomorrow, yes, purple."

"That's good, Mr Stilinski, I don't think we need to worry about unidentified issues but we are going to keep you under observation for the next forty-eight hours. Then we should be able to release you the day after tomorrow assuming the wounds continue to show signs of improvement."

"You told me about the abdominal wound but I don't know about the shoulder wound."

"It's a straight puncture wound that didn't nick anything important. The knife went in approximately a centimetre. There is severe bruising however and you have injured your rotator cuff."

"How long will it take to heal?"

"The rotator cuff and ankle injuries will take up to four weeks to heal completely. The stab wounds will be six to twelve weeks depending on you and the after-care."

Stiles nodded thinking of the shortest option. "Just before we go back to school."

"The bruises and contusions will all heal in the next week to ten days."

Stiles nodded. "But I can go home the day after tomorrow?"

"Assuming your wounds do not develop an infection."

"They won't." Scott said.

Stiles laughed and then groaned. "Don't make me laugh."

"Sorry."

"A nurse will be in within the hour to give you the next round of antibiotics and pain medication."

"Okay, thanks."

"And he'll be changing your dressings and then you should rest. Your friends should probably leave you to rest."

Scott nodded. "We'll say goodbye and leave."

The doctor nodded. "Do you have any questions, Stiles?"

"No, I think you covered everything."

"If you think of anything please let me know."

"I will, thank you."

The doctor left them alone and Stiles turned to Scott. "Where is Derek?"

Scott groaned. "Stiles."

"Scott."

"He's at his place. He saw you when you woke up yesterday."

"Are you sure he's okay?"

"Yeah," Scott said, displeased. "He's healed."

"He does hate the hospital," Stiles said. "Can I have your phone?"

Scott made a face. "He's being an arse, Stiles."

"Why?"

"Because a member of his pack is in hospital and hurt and he's hiding at his house."

"He's never liked to be at the hospital – he doesn't like to be reminded that we're fragile. Actually, it's just me, isn't it? Allison never ends up in the hospital."

"No, she doesn't. But if she was then I'd be there with her."

"Except you're dating…epically in love. It's a bit different."

Scott opened his mouth and then nodded and handed over his phone.

"Hey, where's my dad?"

"He's at home. Mum dragged him home and told him he had to sleep and eat before he was allowed to come back. He was one of the sheriffs that responded the call out to the house."

"He wasn't supposed to be working."

"Apparently someone called in sick. He hadn't left your side since. Except for when you were in surgery."

"Thank your mum for me."

"I promised him I wouldn't leave so I'll get the pack and then you can sleep and I'll read a book."

Scott slipped out of the room and got the rest of the pack. They said their goodbyes and all hugged him gently before they left. As soon as they were gone Stiles unlocked Scott's phone and called Derek.

"Scott?"

"Hey, Derek."

"Stiles, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to call and make sure that you were completely healed after Joshua's attack."

"I'm completely healed. How are you?"

"Just fine, everything is healing. I should be released the day after tomorrow."

"That's good. You're feeling okay?"

"Yeah, nothing really hurts and everything is going to heal well…plus, I'll have a couple of good scars."

Derek growled into the phone.

"I'm going to be fine. You can come and see for yourself when I'm home. I know how much you hate hospitals."

Scott made a noise from where he was sitting in the chair beside Stiles' bed.

"I will," Derek said but there was something in his voice that made Stiles' spider sense tingle. "I'm glad you're awake and feeling better. I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay, yeah, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Derek."

Derek said his goodbyes and then hung up.

"Everything okay?" Scott asked.

"Don't pretend you weren't eavesdropping."

"Are you ever going to do anything about your feelings for him?"

"You don't want me to do anything about it."

"He's my friend and my alpha."

"And I don't think you think he's good enough for me."

Scott made a face. "I never said that."

"But you've started making this face whenever I talk about him or he and I are mentioned."

Scott let out a long breath and shrugged.

"Scott."

"I want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

"Then I'm happy."

"You are a _terrible_ liar. You have always been terrible – after all of this time you think you'd be better."

"I worry about you being hurt because you're in love with him and you're not _with_ him."

"I'm scared."

"He won't ever kick you out of the pack."

"But he might get weird and we'd stop being as close as we are."

"Is this better than knowing, for sure?"

"What do you think?"

"I think he's in love with you and would fall to his knees thanking the heavens if you told him you loved him. Or, he'd run away because he's scared."

"You think he's in love with me? Please."

The nurse walked in. Scott rested back in his chair.

"The doctor recommended rest," the nurse said, pointedly looking at Scott.

Scott shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I can ignore him and sleep," Stiles shrugged, watching as she injected something into his IV.

She didn't looked pleased as she looked down at Scott.

"His dad is only home sleeping right now because I promised I wouldn't leave," Scott said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"He's my bodyguard," Stiles said with a smile and a yawn. "He's protecting me while I sleep."

"Okay," she said, shaking her head at them both and making a note in his chart.

"Thanks, Beth," Scott said, smiling at her sweetly.

"So-"

Scott held his hand up. "Just relax and sleep."

Stiles yawned and glared but closed his eyes and relaxed back anyway.

/\/\/\

Sam was standing and looking out of the room's window when Stiles woke up the next morning. He was wearing his uniform.

"Dad?"

Sam turned around and smiled at Stiles. His face transformed with relief as he walked over and hugged Stiles. The hug put some pressure on Stiles' shoulder but he bit down on the groan.

"I'm okay." Stiles told his dad.

"You worried me."

"I'm sorry."

Sam kissed Stiles on the forehead and pulled away, sitting down.

"You're in your uniform."

Sam made a face. "I can't leave Joshua sweating in the cell anymore. I've got to go in and deal with him."

"What's happening with him?"

"He's been rotting in there since you were hurt."

"That seems fair. Is he blind?"

"No."

Stiles made a face. "That's a shame."

"Stiles."

"He stabbed me. He tried to blind Derek once. He hurt my pack. I wanted to blind him."

"He tried to blind Derek once? You've seen him before?"

Stiles grimaced. "Maybe."

"Unbelievable. I'm going to have to get Derek down to the station to answer questions now. And you're going to get a visit from a deputy when you're feeling better. How could you keep this from me?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

"Too late."

"I'm okay."

"I know. But you had surgery and I saw you lying in Derek's arms bleeding which took years from my life. I was…am worried."

"I'm going to be good as new. With a few scars for the trouble."

"No more scars after this."

"I will try not to scare you again."

"I know that's all I'm going to get so I suppose it's enough."

"I didn't mean to make you worry."

"You could have gone down to the panic room with Allison."

"I don't know how Scott got her to go down there."

"I might have carried her down over my shoulder," Scott said, pushing the door open.

"We had words," Allison offered, coming in behind him.

"I'd still do it again."

Allison made a face at him.

"I had no idea what was there attacking us," Scott told her and then turned to look at Sam. "Sorry we were late."

"Not late," Sam said, standing up. "Stiles only just woke up so it's perfect."

"You going in?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah.

"Be safe."

Sam shook his head at Stiles but leaned down and hugged him anyway.

"Love you," Stiles said quietly.

"I love you too, son, I'll be back later."

Stiles nodded and watched his father leave.

"So, you're babysitting again?" Stiles asked when his father was gone.

"I came with cards this time."

"Excellent," Stiles said, reaching for the remote that would raise him into more of a sitting position.

They played card games until well after lunch when the rest of the pack arrived.

Lydia was the first one through the door, sitting on the edge of Stiles' bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think they're still giving me to good drugs."

"Are you going to share?" Jackson asked, walking into the room with a brown paper bag.

"No, but you might have to…what's in the bag."

"Fried rice and Szechuan beef."

"I love you," Stiles said, reaching out.

Jackson scowled at Stiles but the human knew that he appreciated the words. The werewolf handed him the bag and Stiles opened it with glee.

"What about the rest of us?" Scott asked.

"I'm the one in the hospital bed injured." Stiles reminded him.

"Well, if you're going to pull the injured human card then I suppose I won't steal any of your food." Scott sighed pathetically.

Stiles laughed and held out the container to Scott who came over and stoles a few pieces of beef. "Oh man, that's the good Chinese from Dragon Express."

"Of course," Jackson said, looking at Scott with annoyance.

"Jackson knows which Chinese is my favourite."

Jackson smiled at Stiles with pleasure, preening under the praise.

"You're good," Lydia said, bending down to kiss Stiles' forehead.

Stiles ate the rest of the rest of the rice and Szechuan beef while the pack chatted around him.

"Sorry I'm late," Danny said, sliding into the room later.

Stiles looked at him and laughed. "Nice hicky."

Danny slammed a hand to his neck. "It's still there?"

Stiles nodded. "So, it must be fresh."

Danny flushed.

"Was it the fireman?" Jackson asked, turning to his best friend.

"You picked someone up after the fight?"

Danny nodded. "Alison called everyone and he was cute."

"I'm so impressed," Stiles told him.

"You should be," Lydia said, "he's hot."

"He's a fireman," Stiles said with a wink, "it's nice to learn that some stereotypes are true."

"He was the only hot one," Allison told him.

"I only need one," Danny said.

"Then you're doing it wrong," Jackson said with a laugh.

Lydia smacking him upside the head. "Cheating on someone isn't okay."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I never agree to monogamy."

Lydia looked at him with pity and shook her head at him. "One day I am going to enjoy watching you fall in love with someone so stupidly that you panic and fall apart."

Stiles bit down on his lower lip to keep himself from saying anything.

"But, when it happens we'll all be here to support you," Danny offered.

"What makes you think I would fall apart…or that I'll ever fall in love?"

"We all fall in love eventually," Allison said. "In one form or another."

"It's nothing to be afraid of, Jackson." Stiles said. "The worst that can happen is that they aren't interested."

"And then you can pine for the rest of your life," Lydia said, smiling at him.

"I'm not Stiles. I'm not…I didn't mean that," Jackson said, looking at Stiles.

Danny slapped Jackson. "It's fine that you're pining for Derek. Completely normal."

"It's not normal," Lydia said. "It's a TV show. Normal is telling him and having sex."

"Or not having sex," Stiles offered, "if he's not interested."

"Please, of course he's interested," Jackson said.

"What?" Stiles said.

"What?" Jackson asked, looking around the pack who were all staring at him. "I'm sick of watching Stiles pine, I'm sick of watching Derek act like a lovesick puppy. And I saw Derek yesterday; he's blaming himself for Stiles being in here."

"Derek isn't a lovesick puppy," Stiles said.

"Of course he is," Lydia told him.

Stiles looked at his pack and every single one of them was staring at him in agreement with Lydia. "You cannot all think that Derek is in love with me." They all nodded. "Impossible, I'd know if he was in love with someone."

"In love with you," Lydia said. "And it's not even that – the two of you are basically mated."

"Lydia!" Scott growled.

Lydia shrugged. "The cat's out of the bag, why should I hide anything anymore?"

"You were hiding it?" Stiles asked, looking at Scott.

Scott looked at his best friend and sighed. "We were letting things progress naturally."

"Is this because you don't want me to date Derek?"

"I want you to date Derek if it's what you want. I'm just not sure he's good enough for you."

"But you think he loves me?"

Scott nodded.

"It's not possible."

"Why not?" Allison asked. "You're an amazing person. Why couldn't he possibly love you."

"Because I live with him. He couldn't hide that from me."

"He's not hiding anything," Danny told him. "He probably thinks he is but he would be less subtle if he were wearing a sandwich board."

"So, you're telling me…I've been in love with him for years but I missed the fact that he was in love with me when he hasn't been hiding it or anything. I'm not an idiot."

"No, you're not," Danny said. "But, you're missing the forest for the trees."

"Here's the thing," Lydia said, stepping forward. "If it wasn't you, and Derek was doing any, _any_ , of the stuff he does then you'd know he was mated."

"What?" Stiles asked, moving awkwardly on the hospital bed.

"What would you think if Jackson welcomed a woman into his home to live?"

Stiles looked at Jackson who was trying to disappear into the wall. "Are you dating someone?"

"No."

Stiles blinked slowly. "I don't understand."

Scott reached out and put a hand on Lydia's shoulder. She shrugged him off.

"Stiles, if a woman moved into Jackson's home what would that mean?" Lydia asked again.

"That he was beginning the process of bonding with them."

"And you moved in with Derek – into his apartment – into a place where he lived alone."

"I have – we all have – a room in Derek's house. We helped him build the place."

"But none of us actually live there – full time. It's only for sometimes."

Stiles rolled his eyes and then groaned. "That hurt."

"You're hurt." Scott pointed out.

"I know."

"And this can wait." Scott said.

"No," Allison said quietly, "it can't. Jackson's right. Instead of Derek thinking that being around Stiles could get him hurt like his family was hurt this time he is actually the reason that Stiles was hurt. Joshua came after Derek and in doing that Stiles ended up in hospital with a stab wounds and torn ligaments so we need to do this now or Derek will pull away completely and he will never let Stiles in."

"Allison," Stiles said weakly. "It wasn't his fault."

"I know. But, what would Derek think?"

Stiles looked down at the scrapes on his hand. "He's going to blame himself."

"Right," Lydia said. "So, what would you think if Danny invited a human male into the pack, told him all about us?"

"That he was going to get mated and married."

"But when Derek welcomed you into the pack." Danny asked.

"He didn't have a choice," Stiles pointed out, looking at Scott. "He wanted Scott in his pack and I came with Scott."

"You earned your place in the pack," Scott argued.

"Well, I know that."

"What about if I was an alpha who relinquished control of training my betas to someone else?" Lydia asked.

"I was hazardous to everyone's health," Stiles pointed out.

Lydia threw up her hands. "For a moment stop thinking about it being you and Derek. Pretend Derek was some random alpha, who had a pack member who was sought out for advice over the alpha, a pack member who questioned the alpha and who the alpha agreed with more than eighty per cent of the time. Pretend that you know of an alpha who would open his home to a human without a thought. An alpha who would welcome a human cop into his pack, one who encourages his pack to view this human as equal to the alpha."

"Derek never did that."

Each one of the wolves shook their heads at him.

"An alpha who gave a human an entire room so that if he goes mad like his uncle then that human can stop the werewolf and protect the pack. That's what the second-in-command does. The alpha's mate."

"Well yes, but it's just because I helped Scott resist Peter."

"Why don't you want him to love you back?" Jackson asked.

Stiles turned at looked at him. "What?"

Jackson looked uncomfortable as he walked over to Stiles and sat on the bed next to the human's knees. "Everything that Lydia has said is true and you're just refusing to accept it so I want to know why you don't actually want him to love you back."

"Because he's…"

"In love with you."

"Jackson," Stiles said, looking at the werewolf.

"You love him and he loves you and anyone with half a brain can see it – even I saw it."

Stiles tried to smile at the joke but couldn't make his lips stretch.

"It isn't that you're scared, is it?" Scott asked. "I mean – we would understand if you were scared of losing Derek given what happened with your Mum…and your Dad after."

Stiles looked at Scott, trying to work out what to say.

"Perhaps, we should leave Stiles alone to rest," Allison said, resting a hand on Scott's arm.

Stiles nodded, once, and then grimaced. "I am tired."

The pack nodded and filed past to offer Stiles comfort before they left. Scott hung back and watched Stiles.

"Are you staying?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah," Scott said.

"Okay."

Allison poked her head back into the room and looked at Scott.

"I'm just going to stay until Stiles falls asleep."

Allison smiled at him and walked back into the room. "I'll see you in the morning," she said with a kiss.

Allison left and Stiles closed his eyes, knowing Scott would stay the whole time he was asleep to watch over him.

Stiles couldn't sleep, the pack had left over an hour before and he couldn't seem to slip into sleep even though he was exhausted.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked quietly.

"He's a werewolf so being scared of him dying is ridiculous."

"It is."

"And I once saw Peter stick his hand through Derek's chest so probably it's not going to be something like Mum."

Scott stood up and came to sit next to Stiles. "I'm not saying that is why you haven't seen how Derek feels."

"Scott, be completely honest with me."

"He loves you. He's never told me but he does."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…because, I thought when you were ready you would see it but I never expected you to get hurt like this."

"And if Derek does love me then he'll definitely close that door to me because I was hurt when someone came after him."

"Yeah."

"Then we're just going to have to stop him from doing it."

"First, you need to get some sleep and heal. You're hurt."

Stiles smiled. "I am, but I'll heal."

Scott placed his hand on Stiles' ankle and concentrated – pulling the pain out of the human's body.

"You shouldn't do that," Stiles said but now that the underlying pain was gone the pain meds were making him feel fuzzy.

Stiles passed out, snoring. Scott smiled down at him and relaxed into one of the chairs. He hid in the bathroom whenever the nurses came to the room to check on Stiles.

/\/\/\

Stiles woke up slowly to find his father sitting next to his bed.

"Dad?"

"I sent Scott home."

"He stayed with me last night."

"I asked him to," the sheriff admitted.

"I know."

"Joshua was actually Joshua Michaels. He was wanted for murder in Nevada."

Stiles sat up. "What did you do with him?"

Stiles' father folded his arms across his chest. "I'm probably going to have to send him to Nevada for prosecution for murder. The DA is looking into the cases."

"He didn't kill me."

"He wanted to," Sam said, angry.

"Dad."

"Stiles, you could have died."

"I'm going to be okay. The wolves would never have let me die."

Sam stopped and rubbed a hand down his face. "No, Derek would have died first."

"So, you think he loves me too?"

Sam scooted forward on the chair. "You finally worked it out?"

Stiles shrugged. "The pack told me."

"Why?"

"Because they think Derek is going to shut me out now."

Sam's eyes flickered down to the table and then back to Stiles.

"What?"

Sam reached out and pulled an envelope off the table – handing it to Stiles. "This was left at the nurse's desk."

"What is it?"

"A letter."

Stiles knew, with cold certainty, that the letter was from Derek. And he knew what it would say – he felt like he could write it himself if he wanted to. He didn't want to. With conviction came the realisation that Derek was in love with him. Had been in love with him for years. He'd been an idiot and now he was about to lose something he could have had a long time ago.

"Give it to me," Stiles said, his voice more detached than he would have expected.

"Stiles, do you want me to go and talk to him."

Stiles laughed. "No, I really don't."

"If you need me to…"

"Thank you."

Sam handed over the letter and Stiles opened it slowly.

"Before you read it, you should know they will be releasing you this morning."

"I know."

"And until they actually release you, you can't go out there and convince him he's wrong."

"I know."

Sam sighed. "I'll go and see if they can move it along."

Stiles waited until his father had left the room before he unfolded the paper, looking at the neat, beautiful penmanship without actually reading the words. He traced a finger over his name at the top of the paper and hated Derek as he trailed a nail over the curl of the s. He hated himself as well. He hated the situation and hated that he was going to have to read the letter that Derek had written him to break his heart. But, he knew he needed to and he took a deep breath and actually focussed on Derek's writing.

_Stiles,_

_It's my fault that you were injured earlier today. Humans should not be in a werewolf pack and I should have known that. All humans that have been part of werewolf packs have been in danger. I have put you in danger and while you have constantly proven that you are capable of looking after yourself you are still weaker than we are. I cannot continue to allow you to put yourself in danger to be part of our pack._

_I told you that pack was for life and that is true but I cannot protect you as I should. I lied to myself, convinced myself that I would be able to keep you safe when I don't know what, or who, may come after us. Since you joined my pack you have been in danger too many times. I cannot stand by and allow any member of my pack to be hurt so I am quitting university. I will return to Beacon Hills and keep my land and the pack safe. In the time you have left at university the ties to the pack will diminish. Then when you return I believe you will be able to separate yourself from the pack without losing the friendships you have with the remaining wolves. If you are not pack then you should not be in danger._

_Joshua chose to come after you because you were pack. He chose to come after you because to a hunter your place in the pack would appear important. As it has been. It cannot be an important place in the pack anymore. You cannot hold an important place in the pack. I would never have wanted to do this but circumstances leave me with no choice. I am breaking pack bonds with you, Stiles._

_I am sorry._

_Derek_

Stiles read the letter again and scrunched it up into a little ball viciously but he couldn't bring himself to actually hurl it at the wall. Now that he understood he realised how much it would have cost Derek to write those words. Now, that the pack had pointed out what he had been missing – that he was Derek's mate even if they had not bonded, then he understood that it would have caused Derek great pain to have said those things to Stiles.

Knowing that did not make the words hurt less…somehow he believed that he hurt more knowing everything.

A few minutes later his father came in with a doctor. Stiles sat through the examination plotting what he would need to do as soon as he was released from the hospital.

They fitted him with a cane, his shoulder injury preventing him from using crutches, and finally, what felt like hours later, they released him with instructions for follow up visits and physical therapy consultations. Stiles assumed his father was listening because he hadn't been.

The moment they got down to the car Stiles turned to his father.

"I need to go home, have a shower, and then you need to drive me to Derek's place."

"I thought you'd want to go straight there."

"If I go there smelling of the hospital he will be even more recalcitrant that he will be just seeing me with a cane, bruises, and bandages."

"I have to say this, Stiles. He is right; you would be in less danger if you walked away."

"I couldn't walk away from Scott, or the rest of the pack, even if I could walk away from Derek. And you know what Mum always used to say."

"Stilinski men love once and they love hard," Sam said quietly.

"You proposed to her after you'd been dating for a week."

"She didn't accept straight away."

"Would you have walked away if you knew then that she would get sick, that she'd die and…and, that it would hurt like it did?"

"No."

Stiles smiled sadly, feeling his eyes warm with the possibility of tears. "I love him. I've been in love with him for years and I am finished being scared. I am finished with the angst and pain and I am not going to let him take something away from himself, or me, that will make us very happy just because I might be in a little danger."

"Okay."

"I'd take the bite before I let him push me out like this."

"You said you don't want to be a werewolf."

"I also said," Stiles told his father as they turned into their driveway, "that if I had to, to be part of the pack, then I would do it."

"That's not right, Stiles."

Stiles smiled. "He won't let me."

Sam unbuckled his seatbelt and came around to help Stiles from the car. "What?"

Stiles walked slowly into the house, getting a feeling for using the cane for balance, and smiled at his father. "Derek will never bite me. I know he promised you he wouldn't unless I was dying but he is not kicking me out of this pack. And if I have to buff him out, I will."

"Right," Sam said. "Shower and then I'll drive you over."

"Dad," Stiles said, stopping at the bathroom doorway and grabbing his father's wrist. "Thank you."

Sam kissed Stiles on the forehead. "I care about him too and I think you could be very happy together. I only want you to be happy."

"I am happy…I think I could be happier if I can convince him not to do this."

Sam smiled. "I don't think he is going to know what hit him. We Stilinski men are very bull-headed when it comes to love."

"I'm counting on it."

Showering hurt more than Stiles was expecting, draining him of more energy than he would have liked and by the time he was done he looked weary. The stark bruises seemed to be even more pronounced after the shower than they had been before. He wondered if he could do anything to hide it. He didn't want to delay going though. He wanted to catch Derek before the alpha had any more time to convince himself that this was the only option.

Stiles walked out of the bathroom and got dressed. He went into the kitchen to get his father to reapply one of the bandages and knew he must look even worse than he thought.

"How bad is it?" Stiles asked.

Sam attempted to smile. "I think you should go upstairs and lie down."

Stiles let out a long sigh. "I thought as much."

"But if you want to go at least have something to eat and call Lydia to put some makeup on you."

Stiles smiled at his father and pulled out his phone. "What's for lunch then?"

"Stew. Melissa put it in the fridge this morning."

Stiles smiled. "She's so lovely."

"Yes, she is."

Stiles sat down on the couch gingerly. "I'm just going to rest while it heats up then."

"That's a good idea," Sam said carefully.

Sam moved around the kitchen quietly and Stiles sank down into the cushions of the couch stretching out. He knew he was going to fall asleep – the exhaustion floated over him like a wave and he heard his father running the tap just before the world went black.

Stiles woke up with a start sometime later to the smell of beef stew and Lydia's perfume. He got up slowly, sitting on the couch to find Lydia curled up in one of the other chairs eating and talking to his father.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Only an hour," his father said.

"I told him that an hour wouldn't have made that much of a difference and you look better than you did before." Lydia threw in.

"Can you make me look better still?"

Lydia scoffed at him. "Of course I can."

"Food first," Sam said, putting a bowl of stew down on Stiles' lap. "And something to drink, what do you want?"

"I need my tablet too."

"I'll get it." Sam said standing up.

"Thanks, Dad."

"How are you going to approach this?" Lydia asked him.

Stiles let out a huff of breath and moved the stew around in his bowl. Melissa made the best stew but he wasn't sure if he even wanted to eat it. He knew he needed to though and took his first bite while he was mulling over Lydia's question.

"I'm going to kiss him."

Lydia smiled. "That's a good start."

"And then I'm going to yell at him for trying to push me out of the pack. He promised me that he would never do that again."

"What?"

"Dad didn't tell you?" Stiles asked.

"Of course I didn't," Sam said, walking back into the room. He handed Stiles two tablets and a glass of water.

Stiles swallowed them and turned back to Lydia. "He left a letter for me at the hospital."

"Telling you that it was his fault that you were hurt and that you should leave the pack and probably that he was going to do something noble."

"Yep."

"Eat up then."

Stiles started eating more quickly. "He said he's going to give up on university."

"That's stupid," Sam said.

"I know," Stiles told him. "And I'm not going to let him get away with this."

"Then we need to get started on making you look like you weren't beaten up by a psycho werewolf hunter a few days ago."

Stiles put down the bowl. "Okay, make me beautiful."

Lydia covered as many of the bruises as possible, taking away the paleness of his skin at the same time.

"If he gets too close he's going to know you're wearing makeup."

"That's okay."

Lydia sat forward and kissed him quickly on the forehead. "We've been waiting for the two of you to get together."

Stiles smiled. "Yeah?"

"You're our alpha's mate. The pack needs the two of you to sort out your shit. And I want you to be happy, Stiles."

"Thanks, Lydia."

"Now, go and get your alpha."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n."

Sam shook his head at both of them. "We should get going."

"Right."

Stiles stood up and then stopped and turned to look at Lydia.

"You're doing the right thing, and you can do this." Lydia told him

"I can?"

"You can."

"Okay!"

Stiles thought about what he should say to Derek as his father drove him to the alpha's house. When they arrived it didn't look like anyone was home but Stiles climbed out of the car anyway and turned back to look at his dad.

"He doesn't look like he's here." Sam told him.

"He is."

"Want me to wait?" Sam asked.

"Nope, if you're here it will be easier for him to try and kick me out."

"And if I leave?"

"He'll have to be nicer to me."

Sam looked sceptical.

"I've got my phone and I'll call you back if I need to be picked up."

Sam looked up at the house.

"You like Derek," Stiles reminded him.

"But you're injured."

Stiles smiled at his father. "Love you too, Dad."

Sam nodded with a sigh and left Stiles. He looked up at the house and then began walking past the house to the shed. Stiles wished Derek hadn't decided to hide out in the shed the longer he had to trek across the uneven ground to the outbuilding. Stiles didn't call out to Derek though; not wanting the werewolf to see him struggling over the leaves and twigs.

Finally, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.

"Derek?"

Derek stepped away from the work table and turned to look at Stiles.

"What are you doing here?"

"I got your note."

"Then you shouldn't be here."

"I'm not going to let you do this," Stiles said, walking over to Derek.

"Leave," Derek said, with a growl. "Get out right now!"

"No," Stiles said, stopping in front of Derek and leaning heavily on the cane. "You don't get to kick me out after that letter."

"It said everything there was to say," Derek said his voice harsh in the mostly empty space.

"No, it didn't," Stiles said. "It told me the exact opposite of what you think it did."

"Just leave me alone, Stiles. I am not going to discuss this with you."

Stiles smiled at Derek sadly. "I love you, too."

Derek froze.

"I was stupid not to say something before, but, I do love you and your attempt to be all noble and tell me that I should walk away from the pack when you really mean walk away from you isn't going to stop me."

"I almost got you killed," Derek said in a small voice.

"I've almost got me killed way more than you have," Stiles said with a smile.

Derek growled at him.

"And I choose this life, I choose this pack. I will not want to be part of the pack any less if you make me stay out of it for two years. I am part of this pack. This pack is part of my family and that isn't going to stop."

"You're in danger."

Stiles smiled at Derek. "Turn me then."

"You don't want to be a werewolf."

"I always said if I had to be one to be in this pack then I would welcome the bite. So, turn me."

"No."

"It can't be all your way, Derek. I don't want to lose you."

"It's safer."

"Fuck safer. I want you. I've always wanted you. And the pack has told me that you want me too."

"You're human and-"

Stiles stepped forward and kissed Derek. The werewolf froze for a second and then slid his hand around the back of Stiles' neck and tilted the human's head to the left so that he could kiss him more thoroughly. Stiles moaned into his mouth and Derek pulled away, causing Stiles to over balance.

Derek grabbed onto his upper arms to steady him. "This is a bad idea."

Stiles licked his lips. "This is a brilliant idea."

"You're hurt."

"I will never, ever be hurt enough to not do that."

"Stiles," Derek said, voice slipping into a tone that could be called begging on someone else.

"Derek, do you love me?"

"I am not-"

"Don't lie to me, please."

Derek sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"If you make me leave the pack, and stop being your friend, then you will be hurting me."

"That's not fair."

"I want you to be with me, and I want us to be happy. But that's fine, let's try this; it wasn't your fault that I was hurt."

"Joshua went after you because you're part of the pack."

"Joshua went after me because he thinks all werewolves should be killed."

"And you were there because you live with me, because he knew you were part of my pack."

"And if he hadn't attacked me he would have still attacked your pack. Is it that different that I was hurt than you were, or that anyone else was?"

"You shouldn't get hurt. And being part of the pack means you're more likely to be hurt. More likely to be hurt because of me. I will not be the reason someone else dies."

"I'm not dead."

"But-"

"No," Stiles said, dropping the cane so that he could hold onto Derek's hands. "I want you to think about this. Think about seeing me at the supermarket." Derek opened his mouth to talk but Stiles shook his head. "Imagine me there with some other guy, some other girl."

Derek growled.

"Because I hate the idea of you going out to have a life without me in it."

"I'm not going to."

"Derek."

"No, I'm not-"

Stiles pulled on Derek's hands until he could hold Derek's face in his palms without having to move. "You deserve to be happy. You didn't do anything wrong and I won't let you get hurt like that again."

"Stiles, you can't promise that."

"I can promise to protect you for the rest of my life. I can promise that I'm not going to let someone like that into our pack again. I promise to continue being the person that the pack can come to with the things they don't talk to you about. I can promise to do everything I can to keep our pack together and happy. I can promise to love you."

"Stiles."

"I love you, I've been in love with you for years and I'm scared too because I watched my mother die and then my dad fall apart when she was gone. But, he'd never go back and change a minute and I want the chance to have a life with you that has everything possible in it."

Derek rested his hands on Stiles' elbows. "I can't watch you get hurt because of me."

"I can't promise to never get hurt but I won't get hurt because of you unless you hurt me. What someone else does doesn't mean that it's your fault."

Derek sighed. "I wanted to protect you."

"By hurting both of us?"

Derek sighed. "I need to think about this."

"I'm not leaving."

"Stiles."

Stiles pulled Derek into a kiss, a short press of his lips to Derek's. "Leaving you alone with your thoughts is dangerous."

"You love me?" Derek asked quietly.

Stiles kissed Derek again, licking into the werewolf's mouth. "Yes."

"I still want time to think."

"Okay," Stiles said, pulling back.

Derek reached down and handed Stiles back his cane. Derek frowned at Stiles as he shifted his weight back to the walking stick.

"I'm going to heal. Good as new."

"Okay."

"I will kiss you again."

Derek smiled. "That isn't a punishment."

"I prefer positive reinforcement."

"Should you be out of the hospital?"

"They released me this morning."

Derek rubbed his thumb across Stiles' jaw. "You're wearing makeup."

Stiles flushed. "I looked a little pale. Lydia came over and made me look better."

Derek sighed. "Will you take it off?"

Stiles nodded. "Let's go to the house and I'll show you."

Derek turned around to turned everything off and pack up.

"I'm going to start back for the house," Stiles said, watching the play of muscles along Derek's back under his shirt.

"I'll just be a second."

Stiles let out a breath. "It's going to take me longer to walk back to the house."

Derek turned around and looked at Stiles. "Give me a minute."

Stiles bit his lip and nodded.

Derek went through shutting everything down and then met Stiles at the door. He turned off the lights and held the door for Stiles.

"Have you eaten?" Derek asked as they walked.

"Melissa brought some stew over this morning."

Derek smiled. "Her stew is amazing."

"I know, I didn't eat much. I was nervous about convincing you not to follow through on your letter."

"You're not playing fair."

"All's fair in love and war."

Derek huffed out a laugh.

"I just want you to kiss me regularly."

Derek stopped abruptly and turned to Stiles. "What?"

Stiles shrugged his good shoulder. "I want to kiss you every morning for the rest of my life. I don't care what I need to do to convince you that this is worth it. I will do it."

Derek leaned forward and kissed Stiles. "Okay."

"What?" Stiles asked, pulling Derek back for another kiss.

"Okay, I love you."

Stiles smiled. He smiled so broadly his bruised jaw ached but he didn't care. "You wanted time to think about it."

"I don't want you to kiss someone else every morning."

"I promise."

"We haven't even really started dating yet. You can't promise."

"Yes, I can."

"No."

Stiles nodded. "I'm a Stilinski, this is how we roll." He pulled Derek into a long kiss, relaxing into the other man's body for the first time.

When Stiles pulled away Derek caught his wrist. He twisted his head around until he could press his lips to the tattoo on the inside of Stiles' wrist.

"I have wanted to do that," Derek said, voice harsh, "since the first time I saw it."

"Really," Stiles' asked twisting his arm so that he could see his tattoo.

"Makes you mine," Derek said pulling Stiles in so that he could kiss the human.

"Take me back to the house so I can sit and we can keep kissing."

Derek backed away quickly. "Are you in pain?"

"No, but this will be easier if I'm not in danger of standing on my hurt leg."

Derek's face darkened.

"Hey," Stiles said, poking the werewolf's nose. "You're never getting rid of me now. I'm much too stubborn to let you go so you'd better get used to kissing me and dealing with the fact that I get hurt sometimes. I'm more likely to trip over than I am to be attacked by a werewolf hunter. I can do a statistical analysis…or have Lydia do it for me, if it will help."

Derek groaned and turned towards the house. "You should be resting."

"Kissing you is resting."

"A little kissing but you should be resting."

"I can rest in your bed after sex."

"No sex."

"What?"

"Not until you are completely healed."

Stiles grinned. "That is such good motivation…can I convince you that mostly healed is a better plan."

"Completely healed," Derek said, leading the way up the step to the door.

"Fine, completely healed."

Derek held the door open for Stiles who walked past him and went through the kitchen and into the bathroom to rub the makeup from his face. Beneath it he still looked pale but he didn't look as bad as he had after his shower. He dropped the towel onto the bench and caught Derek watching him from the doorway of the bathroom.

"What do you think?" Stiles asked, turning around and grabbing the crane to walk towards the werewolf.

Derek lifted a hand to rub his thumb over Stiles' jaw. "You have a lot of bruises."

"Bruises aren't that big a deal. You're just not used to them because you've always been a werewolf."

"They mean you're hurt."

"And I'll heal. Everyone gets bruises."

Derek pulled Stiles into a kiss.

"Do you want to lie down?" Derek asked as they walked to the lounge room.

"With you?"

"No, in a bed, where you can elevate your ankle."

"With you?"

"No."

"Then no."

Derek glared at Stiles who smiled back at him.

"I have my pain medication in my pocket and clothes in my room. I'm never leaving."

"Your dad won't like that."

"He drove me here to seduce you."

"He did not."

"Fine, he drove me here so I could tell you I loved you and we could get together."

"He…he doesn't mind us dating?" Derek said sounding completely unsure.

"No," Stiles said, tugging Derek into the living room and sitting him down on the couch. "Why would he?"

"I'm a werewolf."

"He likes you."

"You got hurt…" Stiles glared at him, "…as a result of being around werewolves."

"And I could have just as easily been hurt in some other way. He knows I love you and he knows you would never hurt me so why would he not be okay with this. Plus, it's not his choice to make."

Derek frowned. Stiles tugged him over for another kiss.

"Do you want something to eat?" Derek asked, pulling away.

"No, I want to make out with you." Stiles said. "Stop trying to distract me."

"I don't want to hurt you when I get carried away."

Stiles beamed at him. "Okay, we'll just sit here then." He turned and propped his leg up on the coffee table, snuggling into Derek's side with his good shoulder.

"This is good," Derek said, curling his arm around Stiles.

"Yeah, this is good."

They sat together in silence for a long time until Derek sat up, holding Stiles to his side to stop him from losing balance.

"What?"

"Pack."

Stiles laughed and gingerly pulled away from Derek and called out to the pack. "Are you just eavesdropping?"

Derek looked at Stiles. "Did they know you were coming here?"

"Lydia did," Stiles said, rubbing at his nose.

Derek growled quietly at the large window.

"That's not going to stop them."

"They're being nosy."

"They are all invested in us being happy."

"What?"

"They all told me they knew we loved one another. They are probably just here to make sure that we got together."

Derek sighed with exasperation. "They're being nosy."

Stiles laughed and used Derek's thigh as leverage to stand up. He grabbed the cane and started walking towards the door.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kiss you in the doorway and then tell them all to leave. Then I'm going to take my next round of tablets and we'll find something to watch while we cuddle."

"Are you going to ask me?" Derek asked.

Stiles turned around and smiled at Derek. "Will you come and kiss me in the doorway to make your pack go away?"

Derek was standing next to Stiles before he finished talking. The alpha threw open the front door of the house.

"You are all running the perimeter next training session," Derek called out into the trees.

Stiles tugged him around and kissed him thoroughly.

One of the wolves howled – Stiles thought it was Scott, and moments later the noise grew louder as the other betas joined in. Stiles pulled away and smiled out at the trees; he couldn't see the rest of the pack but he knew they were there.

"Happy now?" Derek asked.

"Nope," Stiles said, yanking him into another kiss.

Derek slammed the door shut and wrapped his arms around Stiles. The human dropped the cane and wrapped his good arm around Derek's torso. Stiles moved, trying to get closer and twinged his ankle. He tried to bite back the sound but Derek pulled away and looked at him with worry.

"I'm fine."

"You're still injured."

"But you want to kiss me."

"You should go home."

"No!"

"Just until you're feeling better."

Stiles shook his head. "I'll go home later…if I have to."

Derek pulled Stiles closer and kissed him again.

"You just really love me," Stiles said happily.

Derek made a face but he nodded.

"I promise I'll be good if I can stay here," Stiles said, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Derek groaned. "I don't trust myself."

Stiles grinned at him.

"And I really don't trust you."

Stiles smiled. "That's because you know me."

"A movie on the couch. I'll make some popcorn and then you're going home."

"We could instil the wall of Jericho."

"I don't know what that is."

"A wall of pillows down the middle of the bed."

"No."

"Then I want to watch The Lego Movie."

"No."

"Please?" Stiles asked, blinking up at Derek.

"You're going to sing the song for days."

"Yep."

Derek looked at Stiles and shook his head. "Okay."

Stiles whistled. "Man, you really do love me."

"Go and get comfortable. I'll get us popcorn and a drink."

"I'm just going to call my Dad. Let him know that you love me."

Derek opened his mouth to say something and then shook his head and walked into the kitchen. He kept and ear on Stiles though. He could hear the echo of the ringing phone even from the kitchen.

"Stiles." Sam said the moment he answered the phone.

"Hey, Dad. Derek loves me."

"That's nice."

"It's very nice."

"So, are you ever coming home again then?"

"Yeah, he said I'm too injured for sex."

Derek growled but he could still hear Sam's groan.

"Sorry, Dad."

"Call me when you are ready to come home. And keep everything else to yourself."

"Okay, later, Dad."

Derek put the popcorn in the microwave and could hear the sounds of the movie menu starting – he really did love Stiles.

/\/\/\

Derek finally convinced Stiles to leave after another movie, and dinner, and ice cream, and forty-three kisses (which he counted).

He drove Stiles home carefully and then was kissed thoroughly in the car before Stiles left to go into the house.

Stiles was back at his house just after breakfast the next day with the rest of the pack in tow. Derek didn't bother to be annoyed just made the rest of the pack wait on Stiles while he sat close to the human's side.

The next few days, weeks, continued on in the same way. Stiles would kiss him as often as possible. The human would spend as much time with Derek as possible, and Derek had to force himself to send Stiles home again at the end of the day.

Then one day, Stiles showed up at his house without his cane and without the sling on his shoulder. Derek knew he was screwed.

"Stiles."

Stiles walked up the porch stairs and threw his arms around Derek, kissing him hungrily.

"I'm not completely healed," he admitted. "But, my stitches have been removed. I can walk normally and my sling is gone. That's good enough."

Derek groaned and tried to pull away but Stiles tightened his hold and refused to be pushed away.

"You have a healing abdominal wound. That is not something we should rush."

"I'll lie back and think of England."

Derek laughed. "No, I don't want to hurt you."

"Fine, fine, no sex but I practised this morning and orgasms don't hurt so you're getting me off…after I get you off and I'm sleeping here tonight. And we're ordering Chinese for when we get hungry."

Derek buried his head in Stiles' neck and smiled. "Okay."

Stiles threw his hands up in the air. "Yes. Come on."

"Now?"

"You've made me wait for weeks…now."

"You practised?"

"I knew you wouldn't have sex with me if I didn't promise that I wouldn't get hurt."

Derek pulled back and quirked an eyebrow at Stiles. "You played me."

Stiles shrugged. "You put my comfort above yours so you wouldn't agree to have sex with me until I'm completely healed with doctor's approval. And at this point we both have purple balls. I want to at least be able to sleep with you. You have to start with your top offer and then you can negotiate down."

"You've been watching those pawn shop shows again, haven't you?"

"Dad loves them and I've been pretty house bound lately."

"We are not watching them when we go back to Berkeley."

Stiles grinned at Derek. "Not even sometimes."

"Not even ever."

"You're no fun. Oh hey, now that we're dating can I keep living with you?"

Derek growled and pulled Stiles into his body, making sure not to put too much pressure on Stiles' abdomen. "I'm not…yes."

"You're not what?"

"Nothing," Derek said, pulling Stiles into his body for another kiss.

"You're kissing me to make me forget."

Derek smiled and kissed him again.

"So, what are your plans for the day?" Stiles asked, running his hands through Derek's hair.

"Danny and Jackson are coming over soon. We were going to clear out those trees that were knocked out in the storm last month. Add them to the woodpile for winter."

"And other than that?"

"Nothing."

Stiles smiled. "Now you have plans. I'll make the three of you lunch."

"You don't need to do that. It will take us an hour; at most, they don't need to eat."

"It's lunchtime."

Derek made a face at him. "You're going to feed them anyway, aren't you?"

Stiles nodded. "And I'm feeling a heap better now so I can go back to keeping everyone from dying of food poisoning."

"You do understand that werewolves can't get food poisoning, right?"

"I can."

Derek smiled. "I wouldn't let you eat bad food."

"How would you know?"

Derek tapped Stiles' nose. "I can smell bad meat."

"Oh."

"That's why I only buy meat from certain butchers. I can smell the good stuff."

Stiles made a face. "That's really something I should have known already. Just never thought about it I suppose."

"So, you don't need to worry about us so much."

Stiles rolled his eyes and kissed Derek. "I'm not going to stop."

"Why?"

Stiles tugged on Derek's hand and pulled him into the lounge room. "I've been thinking about this a lot since we got together."

"Thinking about what?"

"You're the alpha."

"I know."

Stiles smiled. "And I'm what?"

"You're Stiles," Derek said, fidgeting.

"I knew it," Stiles said, poking Derek in the side and making the werewolf twist away and bite down on a laugh. "What am I?"

"You're Stiles, a member of the pack."

"I'm more than just a member of the pack."

"That's not fair to the rest of the pack," Derek said quickly.

"Nah, see, now that I'm not blinded by thinking that you're not interested in me I've looked at our pack in a more objective way."

"And what-" Derek twisted and looked out of the window.

"They're here?"

"Yeah."

"We will continue this conversation later," Stiles told him.

"Of course we will," Derek said standing up. He kissed Stiles and slipped out of the room and house.

Stiles went out to the jeep and collected his bag, putting it on the chair in Derek's room before he started making sandwiches for the four of them. He made a second plate to put in the fridge in case he could convince Derek that he was actually healed enough for sex. He appreciated the fact that Derek cared for him so much but a man could hope. He was happy that Derek loved him but he'd been waiting for Derek, pining after Derek, fantasising about Derek, loving Derek, and wanting Derek's body for years and now he could have him. He could touch him if he wanted to, Derek would welcome it – did welcome it, and Stiles couldn't do much about it because of some hunter that had tried to take his pack away from him. Stiles knew his body was still healing – his wound was still tender to the touch even if it was completely closed over. He'd done his research though and he would be tender for a while – he'd asked his doctor and so long as they were careful he'd be fine. He also knew that he was anxious to get it over with – he was a virgin which he hadn't minded up until the moment he knew he could have sex with Derek.

He unravelled each lettuce leaf and thought even more about why he was so eager – he didn't think there was anything wrong with being his age and being a virgin. He knew he was the last of his friends and he knew that Derek was the reason he'd never pursued any other options and now that he had the chance to sleep with the person that he'd thought about sleeping with for years he didn't want to wait anymore. He didn't want to wait even if his wounds would hurt. He wished he could go back in time, shake himself and Derek, so that he could have all of the experiences he'd missed out on before and yet he was still missing out on them.

Stiles viciously cut the sandwiches and tried to remind himself that he could be patient with this; he'd waited this long and he could wait a little longer. He knew he shouldn't pressure Derek either – the other man only had bad experiences with relationships from what Stiles had seen and Stiles wanted to be a good experience – he wanted to be the best and the last experience that Derek ever had with a romantic relationship. He just needed to keep reminding himself that waiting a couple of weeks wouldn't really matter. It grated – he had never been very good with self-control or with patience and he just _wanted_.

He looked out of the window and saw the werewolves, all shirtless of course, carrying the wood to the wood shed. He allowed himself a few minutes to enjoy the way Derek looked shirtless before he filled a jug with water. Stiles took everything outside and put it on the table. Before he had had a chance to turn around and tell them there was food Jackson and Danny were standing at the table and looking at him.

"Go and wash your hands before you eat," Stiles told the two betas with a shake of his head.

They both nodded and walked into the house to wash their hands.

Derek walked over and stopped next to him.

"You have to wash your hands too."

Derek smiled and leaned forward to kiss Stiles. Stiles smiled at him when he pulled away and nodded towards the house. Derek kissed him again and walked into the house to wash his hands. Jackson and Danny were staring at him when they came back out.

"What?" Stiles asked.

Danny grinned. "You're very cute."

Stiles frowned at him.

"It's so odd to see you kissing," Jackson said.

"Get used it to," Derek said, walking straight past Jackson and kissing Stiles again. "It's going to be happening a lot."

Stiles smiled and ducked his head, very pleased.

"Good," Danny said, looking at Derek intensely. "Because you do understand that you have to treat Stiles right, right?"

Derek nodded.

"What about me?" Stiles asked. "Who is going to warn me not to break Derek's heart?"

Jackson turned and looked at him. "Don't break Derek's heart."

"Thank you." Stiles said with a bright smiled.

"Eat and leave," Derek told them.

"Mean," Jackson said, grabbing onto two sandwiches in each hand. "I'll take them home with me if you're going to be a bad host."

"Take the whole tray if you like," Stiles offered.

"You both want us out of here," Danny said.

"And Stiles' sling is off." Jackson pointed out.

"He's not using the cane." Danny said, inclining his head at Stiles.

Jackson started laughing. "Derek is finally getting some."

"Derek _and Stiles_ ," Danny corrected, "are getting some…finally!"

"It's none of your business." Stiles told them both. "And now you can't take the tray."

Jackson pouted.

"Fine," Stiles said, taking two sandwiches from the plate. "Take the tray and do not call Lydia."

"I have to call Lydia," Jackson said.

"No, you don't," Stiles said.

"Stiles," Danny said, "you might be the next best thing to an alpha but Lydia would make our lives hell if she found out we kept this from her."

Stiles laughed. "Okay, fine."

"I'm the alpha," Derek said.

Stiles made a face. "Just let them tell Lydia. She'll know anyway."

Derek cocked an eyebrow at them. "You think they are more scared of Lydia than me?"

"In this?" Stiles shrugged. "You're their alpha and they will follow your instructions. Then Lydia will make them pay. She's going to know anyway – just by looking at me, so why not let them tell her and then when I do see her she'll be prepared to ask me a heap of questions and she'll have been tempered by Allison."

Derek took a deep breath and glared at his betas. "Not until tomorrow."

"Deal," Jackson said, grabbing the tray of sandwiches and his shirt. "Come on, Danny."

Danny grabbed his shirt and followed Jackson around the side of the house.

"I made more sandwiches," Stiles told Derek.

Derek smiled.

"And we can watch something."

"I thought you were going to drag me upstairs."

"Then I remembered that even though I've been waiting years…we've been waiting years, we've got a lot more time and I shouldn't be pressuring you when you're just trying to take care of me."

Derek tugged him towards the house. "You're not pressuring me. It's very hard to convince myself to resist you."

"Then we'll go and watch a movie or play a card game or something and see where things go."

"Superhero marathon?" Derek asked.

"I'll make some popcorn."

"I'm just going to go and get changed," Derek said.

"I don't mind the sweaty, shirtless thing."

Derek laughed and kissed Stiles, walking the younger man back towards the house. Stiles rubbed his hands down Derek's back. The werewolf's skin was cool to the touch and Stiles held on tightly as Derek explored his mouth. Stiles buried his fingers in Derek's hair and tried to take over the kiss, licking into Derek's mouth. He pressed his other hand low on Derek's back. He ran his fingers lower, slipping them beneath the fabric of Derek's jeans.

Derek pulled back, breathing heavily against Stiles' lips. Stiles dropped his head down and kissed along Derek's collarbone.

"We should go inside and I'm going to have a shower."

"Want some company?" Stiles asked, squeezing Derek.

Derek pressed into Stiles again and kissed him sloppily.

"No," Derek whispered against Stiles' lips. "I'm having one alone."

"Shame."

Derek kissed Stiles again and walked away to have his shower. Stiles stayed right where he was for a few minutes to catch his breath before he went inside and made popcorn. He'd set up the first Captain America movie and got them both drinks by the time Derek walked into the kitchen.

"You mentioned sandwiches?"

Stiles smiled. "They're in the fridge."

"I saw your bag in my room."

Stiles froze. "Yeah…is that okay?"

Derek nodded and kissed Stiles as he walked past to get a plate of sandwiches. "What are we watching?"

"Captain America."

Derek led them into the lounge room and pressed himself into Stiles' side.

"This is much better than opposite sides of the couch," Stiles said, snuggling into the other man.

"I-" Derek started.

"I understand, I didn't mean it that way. I'm just happy to be close to you."

Derek threw his arm over Stiles' shoulders. "Me too."

They finished the bowl of popcorn as Steve was being hit with gamma radiation and then Stiles twisted around so that he was leaning against the arm of the couch and had his knees over Derek's lap.

"What's this?" Derek asked.

"Comfortable."

"I'm not comfortable?"

Stiles sat up and kissed Derek. "I could use you as a pillow instead."

Derek quirked an eyebrow at him so Stiles twisted around and poked Derek until the alpha was resting back against the opposite arm rest. Then Stiles fit himself into Derek's side.

"You're awfully demanding."

"You wanted me to snuggle with you."

"I never said snuggle."

"I can read your mind."

"God, I hope not."

Stiles laughed and returned his attention to the screen just as the guy who played Thorin died.

As Captain America was leading the charge in to save Bucky Derek leaned down and kissed Stiles, ignoring what was happening on the screen.

"This is the best bit." Stiles said between kisses. "It's when the lovers are reunited."

Derek shook his head and kissed Stiles again.

"But, you're going to kiss me now?"

Derek nodded and dropped his head to kiss the skin next to Stiles' ear. "Just want to kiss you."

Stiles smiled. "I'm completely behind that."

Derek smiled and pulled back to kiss each one of the moles on Stiles' face and neck. Stiles ran his fingers though the werewolf's hair and tugged him back to his lips to kiss Derek properly as often as he could.

"You know," Stiles said, leaning forward so that he could reach more of Derek and flinched.

Derek pulled away. "It hurts?"

"No, this is just a bad position. Lie down."

"We-"

"I'm fine, but leaning over you like this is awkward."

Derek smiled and leaned back, wriggling down and settling his head against the arm of the couch. "Get comfortable then."

Stiles beamed at him and moved until he was leaning on his good shoulder and was tucked between Derek and the back of the couch. "I'm good, start kissing."

Derek shook his head at Stiles and wrapped a hand over Stiles' wrist. "Yes, Sir"

Stiles smiled and leaned forward to kiss Derek. "So long as you understand your place."

Derek laughed into the kiss until Stiles joined him and they knocked their noses together. Stiles had to pull away and bury his head in Derek's neck as the giggling took over.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked.

Stiles nodded and forced himself to calm down, kissing along the tendon on Derek's neck. "Sorry."

"I love you, Stiles."

Stiles pulled back and looked down at Derek. "I love you too."

"Good," Derek said, wrapping his hand around the back of Stiles' neck and pulling him down into a kiss.

They laid there kissing for several minutes and Stiles could feel that urgency that was always simmering below the surface getting hard to ignore. Derek was arching up into him though, as turned on as he was.

Stiles was lying off centre on Derek and just as he was about to wriggle over to finally get some pressure on his cock Derek pulled away and looked down at him.

"You're not, are you not interested?"

Stiles arched up against him twisting his hips, his hard erection pressing to the flesh of Derek's hand.

"You smell like you always smell," Derek said nuzzling his nose into space between his neck and shoulder.

Stiles moaned and flushed hotly. Derek could feel the heat pouring off his skin.

"What?"

"This is how I always smell?"

"Mmmm, like soap, fruit and sweat." Derek said reaching down to palm Stiles' cock. He pulled Stiles soft pants down so that he could get closer. Stiles groaned at Derek's attention which had completely focussed on him.

"So, I always smell like I do when I have your hand down my pants?"

Derek pulled away though his hand didn't pull out of Stiles' pants. Derek smirked at him.

Stiles slapped his shoulder. "Don't be smug."

"So long as it's always been because of me."

"Oh trust me it has," Stiles said arching up into Derek.

Derek smiled and pulled back. "We should go upstairs."

"Yes!" Stiles said, immediately rolling up and climbing off the couch. He ignored the protest of his muscles as he moved much more focussed on the erection half hanging out of his pants.

He walked out of the lounge room and headed for the stairs and Derek's room. He could hear the werewolf following him and couldn't resist stopping halfway up to turn and catch Derek in a kiss. The werewolf took Stiles' weight as he kept kissing him and continued up the stairs. They pulled apart at the landing and Stiles grabbed onto Derek's hand to go into the bedroom but froze in the doorway. He looked at the chair where he'd put his bag but it wasn't there anymore.

"Stiles?" Derek asked confused, pressing himself to Stiles' back.

"Where's my bag?"

"In the cupboard, I put all your stuff in the drawer."

Stiles turned around and threw himself at Derek, ignoring the stretch of his abdominal muscles, to attack Derek's mouth and start them both walking towards the bed.

"That was good?" Derek asked when Stiles moved his lips down to Derek's neck while the human sucked air in through his nose.

"You gave me a drawer," Stiles said, dropping down. Before he got to his knees Derek caught him and pulled him back up. "What are you doing?"

"We're not rushing."

Stiles smiled and grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt. He was about to lift it up and over his head when Derek took his own shirt off. Stiles froze, half enjoying the view and half worried what Derek would think when he saw the human.

Derek reached out for him as soon as he'd dropped his shirt to the floor. Stiles watched Derek's face as the werewolf lifted his shirt up and over his head.

"Why are you watching me like that?" Derek asked.

"Curious," Stiles said. "After all, I'm not nearly as buff as you."

"So?"

Stiles shrugged. "Sometimes all of the werewolf nakedness that happens around here is a bit intimidating."

"I'd prefer to see you shirtless than any of the other members of the pack."

Stiles smiled and started walking back towards the bed. "Yeah?"

Derek nodded and toed off his shoes while Stiles sat down and did the same. When he was done he crawled back into the bed and beckoned Derek to follow him. Derek settled on his elbow over Stiles and kissed him again, moving on from his lips quickly and down the line of tendon on his neck, along the ridge of muscle on his shoulder and back in on his collar bone. Stiles arched into the touch and reached out to hold onto Derek as the werewolf licked his Adam's apple before moving down to swirl his tongue around the hollow between his clavicle.

"Is this a werewolf thing?" Stiles asked, watching Derek nose his way down the faint line between Stiles' muscles on his way down to the human's belly button.

"Is what a werewolf thing?" Derek asked, licking at the skin above Stiles' scar which was still pink and somewhat swollen. Derek paused and looked down at the scar. Stiles reached out for him when the werewolf had been frozen in place for too long.

"Derek?"

Derek looked up at him with eyes that were icy blue. The werewolf moved back up the bed, holding his weight on his hands while he pressed down to kiss Stiles hungrily. Stiles arched up into him, curling his arms over Derek's back and pressing his body up into the werewolf's. Stiles pulled away when his chest started to burn from lack of oxygen.

Derek looked down at Stiles breathing heavily and pressed a kiss to Stiles' cheekbone.

"Is what a werewolf thing?"

"The scenting me while you nuzzle thing."

Derek froze and looked down at Stiles.

Stiles shook his head and grabbed onto Derek while he rolled until the werewolf was under him. Stiles propped himself up on his elbow and smiled down at Derek.

"It's a good thing," Stiles said, smirking before he leaned down to follow the path Derek had taken – along his neck, around the curve of his pectorals, down his body to Derek's belly button where he kissed the little dip under it just before he hit the trail of hair down to Derek's cock.

Stiles smiled when Derek's cock bobbed against his neck. "I can tell you think it's a good thing too." Stiles pulled back and kissed Derek's head. "Or at least, your cock agrees."

"I agree," Derek said, a little breathless.

Stiles smiled and swallowed Derek's head licking at his opening and sucking while Derek's hips jerked under him. Derek gripped the sheets and Stiles could feel how tightly he held himself to stop his hips from jerking up into Stiles' mouth. Stiles pulled off with a final lick and looked down at Derek.

"You don't need to do that." Derek was breathing heavily and Stiles couldn't resist smiling down at him. "I'm not delicate and I don't mind if you move."

Derek flushed under Stiles and he reached out for him. Stiles shook his head and dropped back down to swallow as much of Derek's erection as he could. Curling his hand around the base where his lips didn't reach.

"Stiles…you…"

Stiles smiled around the flesh in his mouth and set himself to sucking, licking, and jacking Derek's cock until the werewolf arched up. Stiles was about to pull back when Derek froze and started coming down Stiles' throat.

"Fuck," Derek groaned out and collapsed back down into the mattress as though he had deflated.

Stiles crawled back up Derek's body wiping his mouth. Derek pulled him into his body and Stiles twisted until he was lying on his side. Stiles rest his head on Derek's shoulder and basked in the werewolf's afterglow.

Derek started trailing his fingers along the line of Stiles' ribs before his chest had stopped heaving. Stiles arched away from Derek's fingers and into his body.

"Are you ticklish?"

Stiles shook his head. "Sensitive."

Derek laughed and twisted down and around to kiss Stiles who melted into it.

"You don't need to rush," Stiles told him.

"Yeah, I do." Derek palmed Stiles' cock.

"I'm not…that's really good."

"And it's my turn," Derek said, pulling out from under Stiles and pushing the human onto his back. Derek kissed his way down Stiles' body, pausing to kiss along the healing flesh on his abdomen before moving down and nosing at the skin where thigh met hip.

"You're going to tease me?"

Derek nodded and nipped at a mole on the inside of Stiles' thigh before quickly darting up and lapping at the human's balls before dropping back down to nuzzle his way down to Stiles' knees.

"If you have a toe-sucking fetish I'm down with trying it," Stiles said, propping himself up on his elbows. "Hell, I'm down with trying _everything_ but for today your focus should be here." Stiles took a hold on his own cock and started stroking himself. Derek growled and grabbed his wrist to stop the movement.

"Mine," Derek grumbled and he wrapped his hand around Stiles' hand and moved them both together.

"Yeah," Stiles panted out, "yours."

Derek grinned down at Stiles and bent over to lick at the human's cock. He savoured the pre-cum on his tongue and winked at Stiles.

"Oh God, you're teasing me."

Derek nodded and pulled both his and Stiles' hands away.

Stiles pouted at him.

Derek laughed and leaned up to kiss him but before their lips touched Stiles hooked his leg around the werewolf's thigh and brought their cocks into contact. He started rubbing himself along Derek as he pulled the other man down into a kiss.

Derek growled and arched his hips down into Stiles, pressing the slighter man into the bed as he cock hardened against Stiles'.

Stiles whistled. "Score one for the horny human and the refractory period of a werewolf."

"Stiles," Derek said, stopping his hips.

"Derek," Stiles whined.

"Don't use big words."

"You like my vocabulary," Stiles told Derek, wriggling under him.

"I'm doing something wrong if you can use big words."

Stiles bit his lip and smiled. "Big words for a big cock," Stiles said, rolling his hips.

Derek groaned and dropped his head down onto Stiles' shoulder. "Bad jokes."

Stiles ignored the pain in his abdomen and kept rolling his hips against Derek's. "Bad jokes, good sex."

"I will stop," Derek threatened, rocking his hips down into Stiles uncontrollably.

Stiles laughed. "No, you won't. I could pun all day and you'd still fuck me."

Derek groaned, defeated, and started rolling his hips more deliberately, reaching down between them to wrap his hand around both of them cocks.

Stiles moaned out Derek's name, chanting it without control until Derek moved his hand with a twist around Stiles' cock's head and he came – spurting over Derek's hand with a silent, open-mouthed scream. Derek's hand kept moving, rubbing Stiles' come into his own cock until he came as well and Stiles felt the wet heat of the other man's come on his abdomen.

Stiles slumped back into the bed and braced for Derek's weight but the werewolf wriggled down the bed and lapped at Stiles' abdomen – tasting them both. After a few licks Derek reached down and grabbed something from the floor to wipe Stiles' abdomen.

Stiles looked down. "Was that my shirt?"

Derek looked and shook his head. "Mine."

"Good."

Derek laughed and rested his head low on Stiles' chest. Stiles threaded his fingers through Derek's hair and closed his eyes; every muscle heavy. He could feel Derek's breath on his skin and couldn't resist smiling.

"You said something about Chinese," Derek said a few minutes later, tracing patterns on Stiles' stomach.

Stiles nodded. "Yeah…" running his fingers tiredly through Derek's hair.

"Are you sleepy?"

"Mmmm."

"Go to sleep."

"Stay," Stiles said, pressing his hand into Derek's skull.

"I'm not going anywhere," Derek told him, kissing the skin above Stiles' healing scar.

"Mmmkay," Stiles said, relaxing into the bed.

Derek kept tracing patterns on Stiles' stomach until the other man's breathing deepened and he could be sure that Stiles was asleep. He slipped out of the bed as carefully as he could and made sure that he didn't wake Stiles. He crept from the room and went downstairs; making sure the house was secure before he went back up and found Stiles lying in the middle of the bed with his arms thrown out until he was taking up as much of the bed as possible. Derek sighed and crawled into the bed, fitting himself around Stiles until he could rest his head on Stiles' chest again. He closed his eyes and let the sound and feeling of Stiles' breathing soothe him into sleep.

When Stiles woke up the sky outside was turning dark and he could feel the heat of Derek's breath puffing over his belly button. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked down at Derek's relaxed face. Stiles needed to pee. He was hungry and his stomach was grumbling under Derek's ear but he didn't want to wake the werewolf up. He didn't remember the last time he saw Derek this relaxed and he wanted to see it more. Stiles couldn't resist lifting his hand and running his fingers through Derek's hair – it was deceptively soft.

Derek stirred and twisted around, rubbing his nose against Stiles' skin. Stiles smiled and continued petting the werewolf.

"You're awake," Derek said, turning his head and kissing Stiles.

"I'm awake."

"And hungry," Derek commented when Stiles' stomach growled until his ear.

"That too, and I know this is not sexy or anything but I also really need to pee."

Derek laughed and rolled off Stiles, watching as the human scurried from the bed, getting caught in the sheets, and finally made it into the bathroom.

"Food!" Stiles yelled out.

"You said something about Chinese."

"You know what I like."

Derek flipped over and hunted down his phone. He called Dragon Express and ordered, getting two Szechuan beefs, and then flopped back into the bed to wait for Stiles who bounded back into the room completely ignoring the fact he was naked to hurry into the bed next to Derek. He dropped his head into Derek's shoulder and laid half on top of the other man.

"Comfortable?"

Stiles wriggled. "Yep."

"We're going to have to get dressed when the Chinese comes."

"Only one of us. Rock, paper, scissors?"

"I'll go," Derek said, wriggling down so that he could kiss Stiles.

What felt like moments later, the doorbell downstairs rang. Derek pulled himself away from Stiles with a groan and pulled a pair of pants on. He kissed Stiles again and went downstairs quickly to pay for the food. When he turned around Stiles was walking down the stairs.

Derek looked at the pants Stiles was wearing and lifted an eyebrow in question.

"We're eating."

"So?"

Stiles laughed. "So, what? Am I just going to spend the next four weeks before we go back to Berkeley naked?"

Derek shrugged. "It's feasible."

"Will you be naked too?" Stiles asked, sidling up to Derek and wrapping his arms around the werewolf's middle.

"Yes," Derek said, kissing Stiles. He pulled away when Stiles' stomach growled again. "If you're dressed now we might as well watch a movie while we eat."

"Will we finish it this time?"

Derek shrugged.

"I'll get us some plates and stuff. You pick a movie."

They made it half-way through The Avengers and stopped just long enough to put the leftovers in the fridge before they went back upstairs and got naked again.

/\/\/\

Stiles woke up to the sounds of someone knocking on the door downstairs. Loudly.

He felt Derek rousing next to him. The werewolf tightened his arms around Stiles while he nuzzled into the human's shoulder. Stiles didn't even think about the doorbell as he gingerly twisted around and buried his head against Derek's neck.

"Are you sore?" Derek asked, voice even rougher than it normally was in the morning.

"Did I forget us having sex?"

Derek laughed and ran his hand down over Stiles' abdomen and the healing scar there.

"It's always sore in the morning but no sorer than normal."

Derek kissed Stiles pressing the human down into the mattress.

There was another knock on the door downstairs.

Stiles pulled his mouth away from Derek. "Who's down there?"

"I don't care; they'll go away."

Stiles welcomed the next kiss, gladly slipping down into the bed with Derek as the werewolf's hand slipped further down his body along the regrowing hair below his belly button and down to his cock.

"Derek!" Lydia and Danny called out.

Stiles sat up which pressed his cock more firmly into Derek's hand. "Oh God."

Derek grinned down at him wickedly.

"The pack is downstairs."

"So? They'll leave." Derek told him ducked down to lap at the tip of Stiles' head.

"Derek…pl…oh fuck it," he said dropping back into the mattress and watching as Derek grinned around the human's cock.

Stiles assumed later that the rest of the pack left at some point.

///\\\\\


End file.
